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Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democratic figure, has indicated that he plans to decide on whether to run for president in 2028 after the 2026 elections wrap up.

"Absolutely, I couldn't be truthful otherwise," the governor remarked when pressed about contemplating a campaign for president following the 2026 elections. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

The governor's time in office as governor concludes in early 2027, and he cannot run again. However, he emphasized that any decision is still years away.

"The future will decide," he said.

Rising Profile as a Political Adversary

Newsom has emerged as a notable opponent of the Trump administration, employing his digital presence and pushing a ballot measure that would expand the party's congressional seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This strategy has drawn criticism from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a recent interview on Fox News. The secretary revealed a strategy to pull taxpayer dollars from the state and warned revoking the power to issue CDLs.

"I'm about to pull a significant sum from the state," Duffy declared, in the wake of a this week's tragic collision in California involving an non-citizen commercial driver that led to fatalities and casualties.

The governor's team noted that the U.S. government had reauthorized the driver's employment repeatedly, which allowed him to obtain a trucking license under U.S. law.

The transportation secretary had earlier indicated he was holding back additional funds from California for not enforcing English language requirements for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Team

"One-time television figure, now Secretary of Transportation, fails to grasp U.S. regulations," his administration said in a previous release addressing Duffy's threats. "Meanwhile, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: California truck drivers had a accident mortality rate significantly lower than the U.S. average. The state of Texas – the sole state with more commercial holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Data speaks for itself. This administration is dishonest."

Voter Sentiment and Political Future

A this month's study showed that a majority of the party and almost half of voters said that the governor should run for the White House in the next election cycle. In recent years, his approval ratings has risen to an mean of a third from previous levels, while his unfavorability has dropped from an average of more than 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, Newsom commented while on a trip several swing states that he had "no clue" about his plans for the next presidential election.

He also referenced his earlier challenges, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early childhood.

"The notion that a person who scored 960 on the SAT, who continues to find reading challenging, who was always in the back of the classroom – the idea that you would even throw that out is, by itself, amazing," he stated. "Who the hell knows? I await who steps forward in 2028 and who rises to the occasion. And that remains the key point for the voters."