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The California governor, a leading member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he will determine whether to seek the White House in 2028 once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

"Yeah, I couldn't be truthful if I denied it," the governor stated when asked about seriously considering a campaign for president post the 2026 ballots. "I'd just be lying. And I'm not."

The governor's time in office as governor wraps up in the start of 2027, and term limits prevent another run. Yet, he emphasized that any determination is still years away.

"Fate will determine that," he said.

Increased Visibility as a Administration Opponent

Newsom has stepped forward as a notable opponent of the current federal leadership, using his digital presence and advocating for a proposition that would boost the party's House seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This move has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor is indifferent about Californians in a Sunday interview on a major news network. Duffy revealed plans to cut taxpayer dollars from California and threatened eliminating the state's ability to provide trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," he stated, in the wake of a recent tragic collision in California involving an undocumented commercial driver that resulted in loss of life and four injuries.

The governor's team highlighted that the U.S. government had reauthorized the individual's authorization on several occasions, which allowed him to obtain a trucking license under national regulations.

The transportation secretary had before announced he was blocking $40m from the state for not enforcing linguistic standards for CDL holders.

Firm Rebuttal from the Team

"Ex-reality TV personality, now transportation chief, still doesn't understand national statutes," his administration retorted in a previous statement responding to the funding warnings. "In the meantime, unlike this clown, we'll stick to the facts: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the U.S. average. The state of Texas – the sole state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate substantially higher than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Public Opinion and Political Future

A recent survey revealed that a majority of the party and almost half of voters said that the governor should run for president in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, Newsom's favorability has grown to an average of about one-third from around 30%, while his disapproval has decreased from an typical level of over 40% to 38.4%.

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

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

"The idea that a guy who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, alone, extraordinary," he commented. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who emerges in the next election and who rises to the occasion. And that remains the key point for the U.S. citizens."