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Gavin Newsom, a well-known Democratic figure, has indicated that he plans to determine whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 after the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Absolutely, I would be lying otherwise," Newsom commented when pressed about contemplating a presidential run post the 2026 elections. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

The governor's time in office as governor wraps up in early 2027, and term limits prevent another run. However, he emphasized that any choice is still years away.

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

Rising Profile as a Trump Critic

He has emerged as a prominent opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his online platforms and advocating for a ballot measure that would expand the party's House seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This strategy has invited attacks from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor does not care about Californians in a Sunday interview on a major news network. The secretary disclosed plans to cut taxpayer dollars from California and suggested suspending the state's ability to provide CDLs.

"I plan to withdraw $160m from California," he declared, after a recently reported deadly accident in the state involving an unauthorized trucker that caused fatalities and injured individuals.

Newsom's office highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the driver's employment multiple times, which enabled him to obtain a trucking license under national regulations.

Duffy had before indicated he was blocking $40 million from the state for ignoring language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Governor's Office

"Former D-list reality star, now transportation chief, fails to grasp U.S. regulations," the governor's team said in a last month's comment countering the funding warnings. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we'll stick to the facts: California CDL holders had a accident mortality rate nearly 40% lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the single state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate markedly elevated than the state. Facts don't lie. The federal leadership misleads."

Public Opinion and Campaign Considerations

A this month's survey revealed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters believed that Newsom ought to campaign for president in 2028. In recent years, public support for the governor has increased to an mean of 33.5% from around 30%, while his disapproval has decreased from an typical level of more than 40% to 38.4%.

Some time ago, Newsom remarked while visiting several swing states that he had "no idea" about his intentions for the next presidential election.

He mentioned his earlier challenges, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early childhood.

"The thought that a individual who had modest test scores, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, by itself, amazing," he said. "No one can say? I am eager to see who steps forward in the next election and who rises to the occasion. And that's the question for the U.S. citizens."