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Gavin Newsom, a well-known Democratic figure, has disclosed that he plans to decide on whether to seek the White House in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections wrap up.

"Yeah, I couldn't be truthful otherwise," Newsom stated when asked about giving serious thought to a campaign for president after the 2026 midterms. "That wouldn't be honest. And I'm not."

The governor's tenure as California's leader wraps up in January 2027, and he cannot run again. However, he noted that any determination is not imminent.

"The future will decide," he remarked.

Rising Profile as a Administration Opponent

Newsom has emerged as a prominent critic of the Trump administration, leveraging his online platforms and championing a initiative that would increase the party's House seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This action has made him a target from adversaries.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, accused that the governor is indifferent about Californians in a recent segment on a major news network. Duffy revealed intentions to cut federal funds from California and suggested revoking the authority to provide trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," he said, following a this week's tragic collision in the state involving an non-citizen trucker that resulted in three deaths and four injuries.

Newsom's office noted that the U.S. government had approved the worker's status repeatedly, which allowed him to secure a CDL under federal law.

The transportation secretary had previously announced he was holding back additional funds from the state for ignoring linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Pointed Reply from the Administration

"Ex-reality TV personality, now transportation chief, still doesn't understand federal law," his administration retorted in a previous release responding to Duffy's threats. "In the meantime, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: The state's truck drivers had a fatal crash rate much lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the sole state with more commercial holders – has a rate almost 50% higher than the state. Facts don't lie. The federal leadership misleads."

Public Opinion and Political Future

A this month's study showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and a significant portion of the electorate said that the governor ought to campaign for the White House in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, Newsom's favorability has increased to an mean of about one-third from approximately 30%, while his disapproval has dropped from an average of previous highs to under 40%.

Earlier this year, the governor remarked while traveling several battleground states that he had "no clue" about his future for the next presidential election.

He also referenced his personal struggles, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early childhood.

"The notion that a person who scored 960 on the SAT, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was typically not at the front – the fact that this is even suggested is, alone, remarkable," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I am eager to see who steps forward in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that remains the key point for the American people."