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The California governor, a well-known member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he plans to decide on whether to run for president in 2028 after the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Yeah, it would be dishonest if I said no," Newsom commented when asked about giving serious thought to a White House bid after the 2026 ballots. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

Newsom's tenure as governor concludes in the start of 2027, and term limits prevent another run. But, he cautioned that any decision is a long way off.

"The future will decide," he remarked.

Rising Profile as a Trump Critic

Newsom has emerged as a notable adversary of the Trump administration, employing his online platforms and pushing a ballot measure that would boost the party's representation in Congress in response to redistricting by Republicans. This move has made him a target from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, accused that the governor is indifferent about the state's residents in a weekend interview on a major news network. Duffy revealed a strategy to withhold government money from California and suggested suspending the power to grant trucking licenses.

"I plan to withdraw $160m from the state," Duffy declared, in the wake of a recently reported fatal crash in California involving an non-citizen commercial driver that led to fatalities and injured individuals.

The governor's team noted that the national authorities had renewed the driver's employment on several occasions, which allowed him to receive a trucking license under federal law.

The transportation secretary had previously announced he was blocking $40 million from California for not enforcing linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now transportation chief, fails to grasp federal law," his administration responded in a recent statement countering Duffy's threats. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we rely on data: California truck drivers had a fatal crash rate nearly 40% lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the single state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate substantially higher than the state. Data speaks for itself. The Trump administration does."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A this month's poll showed that a majority of the party and 48% of all registered voters indicated that Newsom should run for the White House in the next election cycle. After the current administration began, his approval ratings has increased to an typical level of 33.5% from approximately 30%, while his negative ratings has dropped from an typical level of previous highs to 38.4%.

Earlier this year, Newsom commented while visiting several swing states that he had "no clue" about his future for 2028.

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

"The thought that a individual who had modest test scores, who continues to find reading challenging, who was often seated at the back – that such a possibility is discussed is, alone, amazing," he stated. "It's anyone's guess? I am eager to see who emerges in 2028 and who rises to the occasion. And that is the issue for the U.S. citizens."