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Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has disclosed that he plans to make a decision about whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yeah, I would be lying otherwise," Newsom commented when pressed about contemplating a presidential run after the 2026 elections. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I can't do that."

Newsom's tenure as California's leader concludes in the start of 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. However, he emphasized that any choice is a long way off.

"Fate will determine that," he said.

Growing Prominence as a Political Adversary

Newsom has stepped forward as a prominent opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his digital presence and championing a ballot measure that would boost Democratic House seats in following redistricting by Republicans. This action has invited attacks from adversaries.

Controversy Over Funds

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor is indifferent about Californians in a Sunday appearance on Fox News. Duffy revealed intentions to withhold government money from California and threatened eliminating the state's ability to provide CDLs.

"I'm about to pull $160 million from the state," Duffy stated, in the wake of a recently reported fatal crash in California involving an undocumented semi truck driver that resulted in fatalities and injured individuals.

His administration noted that the federal government had reauthorized the driver's employment multiple times, which permitted him to secure a commercial driver's license under national regulations.

Duffy had earlier stated he was blocking $40m from the state for ignoring linguistic standards for commercial drivers.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now cabinet member, continues to misunderstand federal law," Newsom's office said in a previous release countering Duffy's threats. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: The state's CDL holders had a accident mortality rate significantly lower than the countrywide rate. Texas – the sole state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate almost 50% higher than California. Data speaks for itself. The Trump administration does."

Polling Data and Political Future

A recently conducted study showed that 72% of Democrats and 48% of all registered voters believed that the governor must consider running for president in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, public support for the governor has grown to an average of about one-third from around 30%, while his negative ratings has fallen from an average of over 40% to 38.4%.

Earlier this year, Newsom remarked while on a trip several battleground states that he had "uncertainty" about his plans for 2028.

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

"The thought that a individual who got 960 on his 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, remarkable," he stated. "Who the hell knows? I'm looking forward to who steps forward in the next election and who answers the call. And that is the issue for the American people."