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The California governor, a well-known Democratic figure, has indicated that he intends to determine whether to seek the White House in 2028 following the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yes, I would be lying otherwise," Newsom remarked when questioned about giving serious thought to a campaign for president following the 2026 midterms. "I'd just be lying. And I can't do that."

Newsom's current term as governor wraps up in January 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he cautioned that any determination is not imminent.

"The future will decide," he added.

Rising Profile as a Trump Critic

Newsom has emerged as a prominent opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his online platforms and championing a ballot measure that would expand the party's representation in Congress in following redistricting by Republicans. This strategy has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Clash on Transportation

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that Newsom shows no concern about Californians in a Sunday appearance on Fox News. Duffy announced plans to cut taxpayer dollars from the state and warned suspending the power to grant CDLs.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," Duffy declared, after a this week's tragic collision in the state involving an undocumented trucker that caused loss of life and casualties.

The governor's team highlighted that the federal government had reauthorized the individual's authorization on several occasions, which enabled him to receive a commercial driver's license under U.S. law.

The transportation secretary had before announced he was holding back $40 million from the state for ignoring language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.

Pointed Reply from the Governor's Office

"Former D-list reality star, now Secretary of Transportation, fails to grasp national statutes," Newsom's office responded in a last month's statement addressing the funding warnings. "In the meantime, unlike this clown, we focus on reality: California commercial driver's license holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the countrywide rate. The state of Texas – the single state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate almost 50% higher than the state. Data speaks for itself. The federal leadership misleads."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A recently conducted poll found that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and 48% of all registered voters indicated that the governor ought to campaign for the White House in 2028. Since Trump took office, Newsom's favorability has risen to an average of 33.5% from previous levels, while his negative ratings has dropped from an average of over 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, Newsom remarked while visiting several battleground states that he had "uncertainty" about his plans for the next presidential election.

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

"The idea that a person who had modest test scores, who still struggles to read scripts, who was typically not at the front – that such a possibility is discussed is, alone, extraordinary," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I await who steps forward in the next election and who answers the call. And that remains the key point for the American people."