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Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he will determine whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 after the 2026 elections wrap up.

"Yeah, I would be lying otherwise," Newsom commented when asked about giving serious thought to a presidential run after the 2026 midterms. "I'd just be lying. And I'm not."

Newsom's time in office as governor ends in the start of 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he emphasized that any decision is still years away.

"It's up to destiny," he said.

Growing Prominence as a Administration Opponent

He has come to the forefront as a notable opponent of the former president's team, using his digital presence and pushing a proposition that would increase the party's House seats in response to redistricting by Republicans. This move has invited attacks from critics.

Clash on Transportation

Donald Trump's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, accused that Newsom does not care about the state's residents in a Sunday interview on Fox News. Duffy revealed a strategy to withhold federal funds from California and warned eliminating the power to grant commercial driver's licenses.

"I intend to cut a significant sum from the state," Duffy declared, following a recently reported deadly accident in the state involving an unauthorized semi truck driver that led to fatalities and casualties.

The governor's team highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the worker's status multiple times, which permitted him to obtain a commercial driver's license under federal law.

The transportation secretary had earlier announced he was holding back $40 million from California for failing to implement language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Team

"Ex-reality TV personality, now cabinet member, continues to misunderstand U.S. regulations," Newsom's office said in a previous release responding to the funding warnings. "In the meantime, in contrast to this person, we focus on reality: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a fatal crash rate significantly lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the sole state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Statistics are clear. The federal leadership misleads."

Voter Sentiment and Campaign Considerations

A recent poll revealed that 72% of Democrats and almost half of voters indicated that the governor ought to campaign for the White House in 2028. Since Trump took office, Newsom's favorability has grown to an mean of a third from around 30%, while his unfavorability has decreased from an mean of more than 40% to current figures.

Some time ago, Newsom commented while on a trip several battleground states that he had "no clue" about his future for the next presidential election.

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

"The idea that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was always in the back of the classroom – that such a possibility is discussed is, by itself, remarkable," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who steps forward in 2028 and who rises to the occasion. And that is the issue for the American people."