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The California governor, a leading member of the Democratic party, has revealed that he will decide on whether to seek the White House in 2028 after the 2026 congressional elections conclude.

"Yeah, I would be lying if I said no," Newsom remarked when questioned about giving serious thought to a presidential run after the 2026 midterms. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I'm not."

The governor's current term as governor ends in January 2027, and he cannot run again. Yet, he noted that any determination is a long way off.

"The future will decide," he remarked.

Growing Prominence as a Political Adversary

He has come to the forefront as a prominent opponent of the Trump administration, employing his social media accounts and advocating for a proposition that would boost the party's House seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This move has invited attacks from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor does not care about Californians in a recent interview on Fox News. Duffy revealed a strategy to pull government money from the state and warned eliminating the authority to provide commercial driver's licenses.

"I intend to cut a significant sum from California," he stated, following a recent fatal crash in the state involving an unauthorized semi truck driver that resulted in fatalities and four injuries.

His administration noted that the national authorities had renewed the worker's status repeatedly, which allowed him to receive a CDL under federal law.

Duffy had previously stated he was withholding $40 million from California for ignoring language proficiency rules for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now transportation chief, fails to grasp national statutes," the governor's team retorted in a previous statement responding to the funding warnings. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we focus on reality: The state's CDL holders had a fatal crash rate significantly lower than the countrywide rate. Texas – the sole state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate substantially higher than California. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Voter Sentiment and Future Prospects

A recently conducted poll revealed that 72% of Democrats and almost half of voters believed that the governor must consider running for the White House in 2028. After the current administration began, Newsom's favorability has risen to an average of 33.5% from around 30%, while his disapproval has fallen from an typical level of previous highs to under 40%.

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

He also referenced his personal struggles, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the young age of five.

"The notion that a guy who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was always in the back of the classroom – the idea that you would even throw that out is, alone, extraordinary," he said. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who emerges in 2028 and who answers the call. And that is the issue for the U.S. citizens."