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Gavin Newsom, a well-known member of the Democratic party, has disclosed that he intends to make a decision about whether to run for president in 2028 following the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yeah, I would be lying if I denied it," Newsom stated when asked about seriously considering a presidential run after the 2026 elections. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I won't do that."

Newsom's current term as California's leader wraps up in early 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he cautioned that any decision is a long way off.

"Fate will determine that," he added.

Increased Visibility as a Trump Critic

The California governor has stepped forward as a prominent critic of the former president's team, leveraging his social media accounts and pushing a ballot measure that would expand Democratic congressional seats in as a counter to Republican redistricting efforts. This strategy has invited attacks from political opponents.

Clash on Transportation

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, alleged that the governor is indifferent about Californians in a recent segment on Fox News. Duffy revealed plans to cut taxpayer dollars from California and warned suspending the power to provide trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160 million from California," he stated, after a this week's deadly accident in the state involving an non-citizen trucker that resulted in loss of life and casualties.

Newsom's office highlighted that the U.S. government had reauthorized the driver's employment repeatedly, which enabled him to obtain a commercial driver's license under federal law.

The transportation secretary had previously stated he was blocking $40m from California for failing to implement English language requirements for commercial drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Governor's Office

"One-time television figure, now Secretary of Transportation, fails to grasp U.S. regulations," his administration responded in a recent statement countering the funding warnings. "In the meantime, in contrast to this person, we'll stick to the facts: The state's truck drivers had a death rate much lower than the countrywide rate. Texas – the only state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate substantially higher than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Public Opinion and Future Prospects

A this month's poll found that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters believed that the governor should run for the White House in the next election cycle. In recent years, public support for the governor has grown to an typical level of about one-third from approximately 30%, while his disapproval has dropped from an mean of previous highs to under 40%.

Earlier this year, the governor commented while visiting several swing states that he had "uncertainty" about his future for 2028.

He also referenced his earlier challenges, including being found to have a learning disability at the age of five.

"The idea that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who continues to find reading challenging, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, by itself, remarkable," he said. "Who the hell knows? I am eager to see who emerges in the next election and who answers the call. And that is the issue for the U.S. citizens."