California's Governor States He Is Evaluating a 2028 Presidential Run

The California governor, a well-known member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he intends to decide on whether to run for president in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Yeah, I would be lying if I denied it," Newsom remarked when questioned about giving serious thought to a White House bid post the 2026 elections. "I'd just be lying. And I'm not."

Newsom's current term as governor concludes in early 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he noted that any choice is not imminent.

"The future will decide," he said.

Increased Visibility as a Trump Critic

The California governor has emerged as a notable opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his social media accounts and advocating for a initiative that would increase the party's congressional seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This move has made him a target from adversaries.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that Newsom does not care about Californians in a recent interview on Fox News. Duffy disclosed plans to cut federal funds from California and threatened eliminating the power to grant trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," he declared, in the wake of a this week's fatal crash in California involving an non-citizen commercial driver that resulted in three deaths and injured individuals.

The governor's team pointed out that the U.S. government had renewed the worker's status repeatedly, which enabled him to obtain a trucking license under national regulations.

Duffy had before indicated he was withholding $40 million from the state for ignoring linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Team

"Former D-list reality star, now cabinet member, fails to grasp U.S. regulations," the governor's team responded in a previous comment responding to the secretary's comments. "In the meantime, unlike this clown, we'll stick to the facts: The state's truck drivers had a accident mortality rate much lower than the national average. The state of Texas – the only state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate substantially higher than the state. Data speaks for itself. This administration is dishonest."

Voter Sentiment and Campaign Considerations

A this month's poll found that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and a significant portion of the electorate believed that Newsom should run for president in the next election cycle. In recent years, Newsom's favorability has increased to an typical level of 33.5% from around 30%, while his unfavorability has fallen from an typical level of previous highs to under 40%.

Earlier this year, the governor stated while on a trip several key regions that he had "no clue" about his future for the next presidential election.

He noted his personal struggles, including being identified as dyslexic at the young age of five.

"The notion that a person who had modest test scores, who still struggles to read scripts, who was typically not at the front – the fact that this is even suggested is, alone, remarkable," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who emerges in 2028 and who rises to the occasion. And that remains the key point for the U.S. citizens."