🔗 Share this article

Gavin Newsom, a well-known Democratic figure, has indicated that he intends to make a decision about whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yes, I would be lying otherwise," the governor stated when questioned about giving serious thought to a presidential run after the 2026 midterms. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

Newsom's tenure as governor ends in the start of 2027, and term limits prevent another run. Yet, he noted that any determination is not imminent.

"It's up to destiny," he said.

Increased Visibility as a Trump Critic

The California governor has stepped forward as a notable opponent of the former president's team, employing his social media accounts and pushing a ballot measure that would increase the party's congressional seats in following Republican redistricting efforts. This action has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that the governor is indifferent about the state's residents in a Sunday segment on a major news network. Duffy disclosed a strategy to pull government money from the state and suggested suspending the authority to issue CDLs.

"I'm about to pull a significant sum from the state," Duffy stated, following a recently reported tragic collision in California involving an undocumented commercial driver that led to three deaths and casualties.

The governor's team pointed out that the national authorities had renewed the driver's employment repeatedly, which allowed him to receive a commercial driver's license under federal law.

Duffy had before announced he was holding back $40 million from California for ignoring linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Governor's Office

"One-time television figure, now cabinet member, still doesn't understand federal law," the governor's team responded in a previous statement addressing the secretary's comments. "In the meantime, unlike this clown, we focus on reality: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a death rate much lower than the U.S. average. The state of Texas – the only state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate substantially higher than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Polling Data and Campaign Considerations

A recently conducted study revealed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters indicated that the governor ought to campaign for president in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, his approval ratings has risen to an typical level of about one-third from around 30%, while his unfavorability has fallen from an mean of over 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, the governor remarked while visiting several battleground states that he had "uncertainty" about his plans for 2028.

He mentioned his earlier challenges, including being found to have a learning disability at the early childhood.

"The thought that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was often seated at the back – that such a possibility is discussed is, alone, remarkable," he said. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who emerges in the next election and who answers the call. And that's the question for the U.S. citizens."