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Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has disclosed that he will decide on whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 following the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yes, it would be dishonest if I said no," Newsom stated when asked about giving serious thought to a presidential run post the 2026 midterms. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

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

"Fate will determine that," he remarked.

Growing Prominence as a Administration Opponent

He has stepped forward as a high-profile adversary of the Trump administration, using his social media accounts and pushing a ballot measure that would boost Democratic representation in Congress in as a counter to GOP gerrymandering. This strategy has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor does not care about the state's residents in a recent appearance on Fox News. The secretary announced plans to withhold government money from California and suggested suspending the power to issue commercial driver's licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from the state," he said, after a this week's deadly accident in California involving an non-citizen trucker that led to fatalities and four injuries.

His administration highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the driver's employment repeatedly, which allowed him to secure a commercial driver's license under federal law.

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

Pointed Reply from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now Secretary of Transportation, continues to misunderstand federal law," the governor's team retorted in a last month's statement addressing the secretary's comments. "In the meantime, in contrast to this person, we focus on reality: California commercial driver's license holders had a death rate much lower than the countrywide rate. Texas – the only state with more commercial holders – has a rate markedly elevated than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A this month's study revealed that 72% of Democrats and a significant portion of the electorate said that Newsom should run for the White House in 2028. Since Trump took office, his approval ratings has increased to an mean of 33.5% from previous levels, while his negative ratings has fallen from an average of more than 40% to 38.4%.

Earlier this year, Newsom stated while on a trip several swing states that he had "no clue" about his intentions for 2028.

He noted his personal struggles, including being found to have a learning disability at the young age of five.

"The idea that a person who had modest test scores, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was often seated at the back – the idea that you would even throw that out is, by itself, remarkable," he said. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who emerges in 2028 and who answers the call. And that is the issue for the U.S. citizens."