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Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democratic figure, has indicated that he will make a decision about whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 after the 2026 elections wrap up.

"Yes, I would be lying otherwise," Newsom commented when asked about seriously considering a campaign for president following the 2026 midterms. "I'd just be lying. And I won't do that."

Newsom's current term as California's leader wraps up in the start of 2027, and he cannot run again. Yet, he emphasized that any decision is a long way off.

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

Rising Profile as a Administration Opponent

He has come to the forefront as a notable adversary of the Trump administration, employing his online platforms and advocating for a ballot measure that would expand Democratic House seats in as a counter to GOP gerrymandering. This strategy has drawn criticism from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a weekend segment on a major news network. Duffy revealed plans to withhold federal funds from the state and warned revoking the state's ability to issue CDLs.

"I'm about to pull $160 million from California," Duffy stated, after a recently reported fatal crash in California involving an unauthorized semi truck driver that resulted in three deaths and casualties.

His administration pointed out that the U.S. government had renewed the driver's employment repeatedly, which permitted him to obtain a commercial driver's license under federal law.

The transportation secretary had before indicated he was blocking $40 million from the state for failing to implement language proficiency rules for truck drivers.

Pointed Reply from the Administration

"One-time television figure, now transportation chief, still doesn't understand national statutes," the governor's team said in a last month's statement addressing the funding warnings. "Meanwhile, in contrast to this person, we rely on data: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the countrywide rate. The state of Texas – the single state with more commercial holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Data speaks for itself. The Trump administration does."

Public Opinion and Future Prospects

A recently conducted survey showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters believed that the governor should run for the White House in 2028. In recent years, public support for the governor has risen to an average of about one-third from around 30%, while his disapproval has fallen from an typical level of previous highs to 38.4%.

Earlier this year, the governor remarked while visiting several battleground states that he had "no clue" about his plans for 2028.

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

"The notion that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, by itself, amazing," he stated. "No one can say? I am eager to see who presents themselves in the next election and who meets that moment. And that remains the key point for the U.S. citizens."