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Gavin Newsom, a leading member of the Democratic party, has revealed that he will decide on whether to seek the White House in 2028 following the 2026 congressional elections are over.

"Absolutely, I couldn't be truthful if I denied it," the governor stated when questioned about seriously considering a presidential run post the 2026 midterms. "That wouldn't be honest. And I won't do that."

The governor's tenure as governor ends in early 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. However, he cautioned that any choice is still years away.

"The future will decide," he said.

Increased Visibility as a Trump Critic

He has emerged as a notable adversary of the former president's team, using his social media accounts and pushing a ballot measure that would boost Democratic House seats in response to redistricting by Republicans. This strategy has made him a target from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, accused that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a recent interview on Fox News. The secretary revealed plans to withhold government money from the state and threatened eliminating the authority to provide commercial driver's licenses.

"I intend to cut $160 million from California," he declared, in the wake of a this week's deadly accident in California involving an undocumented trucker that led to three deaths and four injuries.

Newsom's office noted that the U.S. government had reauthorized the driver's employment on several occasions, which permitted him to obtain a trucking license under federal law.

The transportation secretary had before announced he was blocking $40m from California for failing to implement language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.

Strong Response from the Team

"Former D-list reality star, now transportation chief, fails to grasp national statutes," Newsom's office said in a last month's statement countering the secretary's comments. "Meanwhile, in contrast to this person, we'll stick to the facts: California CDL holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the sole state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Facts don't lie. The Trump administration does."

Polling Data and Political Future

A this month's survey found that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and 48% of all registered voters believed 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 average of about one-third from approximately 30%, while his negative ratings has decreased from an mean of more than 40% to under 40%.

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

He mentioned his past difficulties, including being identified as dyslexic at the early childhood.

"The idea that a individual who had modest test scores, who continues to find reading challenging, who was often seated at the back – the fact that this is even suggested is, alone, extraordinary," he said. "No one can say? I'm looking forward to who steps forward in the next election and who meets that moment. And that's the question for the American people."