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Gavin Newsom, a well-known Democratic figure, has revealed that he plans to make a decision about whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 once the 2026 elections are over.

"Absolutely, it would be dishonest otherwise," the governor stated when asked about seriously considering a White House bid following the 2026 midterms. "I'd just be lying. And I can't do that."

Newsom's current term as governor wraps up in January 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. However, he noted that any determination is not imminent.

"The future will decide," he added.

Growing Prominence as a Trump Critic

He has stepped forward as a notable opponent of the current federal leadership, employing his social media accounts and championing a proposition that would increase the party's House seats in as a counter to GOP gerrymandering. This action has invited attacks from political opponents.

Clash on Transportation

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, alleged that Newsom does not care about the state's residents in a Sunday interview on a major news network. The secretary disclosed a strategy to withhold federal funds from California and warned eliminating the authority to grant commercial driver's licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," he stated, after a recent tragic collision in the state involving an non-citizen commercial driver that led to fatalities and casualties.

His administration highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the individual's authorization repeatedly, which enabled him to receive a commercial driver's license under U.S. law.

The transportation secretary had before stated he was withholding $40 million from the state for failing to implement language proficiency rules for CDL holders.

Firm Rebuttal from the Team

"One-time television figure, now transportation chief, continues to misunderstand national statutes," Newsom's office retorted in a last month's statement countering the funding warnings. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a death rate significantly lower than the national average. The state of Texas – the sole state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate markedly elevated than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Polling Data and Political Future

A recently conducted study showed that a majority of the party and 48% of all registered voters said that Newsom ought to campaign for president in 2028. After the current administration began, Newsom's favorability has risen to an typical level of about one-third from previous levels, while his disapproval has fallen from an mean of previous highs to under 40%.

In previous months, Newsom commented while visiting several swing states that he had "uncertainty" about his plans for the next presidential election.

He also referenced his past difficulties, including being found to have a learning disability at the young age of five.

"The thought that a guy who had modest test scores, who continues to find reading challenging, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, remarkable," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who presents themselves in the next election and who meets that moment. And that is the issue for the American people."