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The California governor, a leading member of the Democratic party, has disclosed that he will decide on whether to run for president in 2028 after the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Yes, I couldn't be truthful otherwise," Newsom remarked when questioned about giving serious thought to a campaign for president following the 2026 ballots. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

The governor's current term as governor wraps up in January 2027, and he cannot run again. Yet, he noted that any determination is not imminent.

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

Rising Profile as a Political Adversary

The California governor has come to the forefront as a high-profile adversary of the current federal leadership, employing his social media accounts and advocating for a initiative that would increase the party's House seats in as a counter to redistricting by Republicans. This action has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Clash on Transportation

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that the governor is indifferent about the state's residents in a recent interview on a major news network. Duffy revealed a strategy to cut federal funds from California and threatened eliminating the authority to grant commercial driver's licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160 million from California," he declared, in the wake of a recent deadly accident in California involving an undocumented trucker that resulted in fatalities and casualties.

His administration pointed out that the national authorities had reauthorized the driver's employment multiple times, which enabled him to receive a CDL under national regulations.

Duffy had before announced he was withholding $40m from the state for ignoring English language requirements for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now Secretary of Transportation, continues to misunderstand federal law," his administration responded in a previous release addressing Duffy's threats. "Meanwhile, in contrast to this person, we'll stick to the facts: California CDL holders had a accident mortality rate much lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the only state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate markedly elevated than California. Data speaks for itself. The Trump administration does."

Voter Sentiment and Campaign Considerations

A this month's study revealed that a majority of the party and 48% of all registered voters believed that Newsom must consider running for the White House in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, Newsom's favorability has increased to an typical level of 33.5% from around 30%, while his disapproval has decreased from an typical level of more than 40% to 38.4%.

Some time ago, the governor remarked while on a trip several battleground states that he had "uncertainty" about his intentions for 2028.

He mentioned his past difficulties, including being found to have a learning disability at the early childhood.

"The idea that a guy who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was often seated at the back – the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary," he stated. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who presents themselves in the next election and who answers the call. And that's the question for the American people."