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The California governor, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he will determine whether to run for president in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Absolutely, it would be dishonest otherwise," Newsom remarked when pressed about contemplating a White House bid post the 2026 elections. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

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

"Fate will determine that," he added.

Growing Prominence as a Trump Critic

Newsom has emerged as a prominent opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his digital presence and championing a ballot measure that would boost the party's congressional seats in as a counter to redistricting by Republicans. This strategy has drawn criticism from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor does not care about Californians in a Sunday interview on Fox News. Duffy announced intentions to cut taxpayer dollars from California and suggested suspending the power to grant CDLs.

"I'm about to pull $160m from the state," Duffy stated, after a this week's deadly accident in the state involving an undocumented semi truck driver that resulted in fatalities and injured individuals.

The governor's team noted that the federal government had reauthorized the driver's employment on several occasions, which allowed him to obtain a trucking license under federal law.

Duffy had before stated he was withholding additional funds from the state for failing to implement English language requirements for CDL holders.

Firm Rebuttal from the Governor's Office

"Former D-list reality star, now cabinet member, still doesn't understand national statutes," Newsom's office said in a last month's release responding to the funding warnings. "Meanwhile, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: California commercial driver's license holders had a accident mortality rate significantly lower than the national average. Texas – the single state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate substantially higher than California. Statistics are clear. The federal leadership misleads."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A this month's poll showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and 48% of all registered voters believed that the governor must consider running for president in 2028. Since Trump took office, public support for the governor has increased to an typical level of a third from approximately 30%, while his negative ratings has decreased from an typical level of more than 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, the governor stated while visiting several key regions that he had "no idea" about his plans for the next presidential election.

He mentioned his past difficulties, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the young age of five.

"The notion that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was always in the back of the classroom – the fact that this is even suggested is, alone, amazing," he stated. "It's anyone's guess? I await who steps forward in the next election and who rises to the occasion. And that's the question for the U.S. citizens."