🔗 Share this article

The California governor, a well-known Democratic figure, has indicated that he will decide on whether to run for president in 2028 once the 2026 elections wrap up.

"Yes, I would be lying if I said no," Newsom commented when asked about giving serious thought to a campaign for president following the 2026 ballots. "I'd just be lying. And I won't do that."

Newsom's time in office as governor concludes in January 2027, and he cannot run again. However, he noted that any decision is still years away.

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

Growing Prominence as a Administration Opponent

He has emerged as a prominent adversary of the current federal leadership, employing his online platforms and pushing a ballot measure that would boost the party's congressional seats in response to redistricting by Republicans. This action has drawn criticism from adversaries.

Clash on Transportation

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 announced intentions to withhold federal funds from California and warned suspending the power to issue CDLs.

"I'm about to pull a significant sum from the state," he stated, following a recent tragic collision in the state involving an non-citizen trucker that led to three deaths and injured individuals.

His administration pointed out that the national authorities had reauthorized the worker's status on several occasions, which permitted him to secure a trucking license under national regulations.

The transportation secretary had earlier indicated he was withholding additional funds from the state for failing to implement language proficiency rules for CDL holders.

Strong Response from the Team

"Former D-list reality star, now transportation chief, still doesn't understand national statutes," his administration said in a recent comment addressing the funding warnings. "Meanwhile, unlike this clown, we'll stick to the facts: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a death rate significantly lower than the countrywide rate. The state of Texas – the only state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate almost 50% higher than California. Facts don't lie. The Trump administration does."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A this month's poll showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters believed that Newsom ought to campaign for president in 2028. Since Trump took office, public support for the governor has increased to an average of a third from previous levels, while his disapproval has fallen from an average of more than 40% to current figures.

Earlier this year, Newsom commented while traveling several battleground states that he had "no clue" about his plans for the next presidential election.

He noted his earlier challenges, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the young age of five.

"The thought that a person who got 960 on his SAT, who continues to find reading challenging, who was always in the back of the classroom – the idea that you would even throw that out is, alone, remarkable," he commented. "No one can say? I'm looking forward to who steps forward in the next election and who meets that moment. And that remains the key point for the American people."