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Gavin Newsom, a leading member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he plans to make a decision about whether to seek the White House in 2028 following the 2026 congressional elections wrap up.

"Absolutely, I would be lying if I said no," the governor commented when asked about seriously considering a White House bid following the 2026 midterms. "That wouldn't be honest. And I'm not."

Newsom's current term as governor concludes in the start of 2027, and term limits prevent another run. But, he noted that any determination is still years away.

"The future will decide," he added.

Growing Prominence as a Administration Opponent

He has emerged as a notable adversary of the former president's team, using his social media accounts and pushing a ballot measure that would increase the party's congressional seats in following Republican redistricting efforts. This action has invited attacks from political opponents.

Controversy Over Funds

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, accused that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a recent segment on a major news network. The secretary revealed a strategy to pull taxpayer dollars from the state and suggested suspending the power to provide trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from the state," Duffy stated, in the wake of a this week's fatal crash in the state involving an undocumented trucker that resulted in three deaths and four injuries.

His administration highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the worker's status repeatedly, which permitted him to receive a trucking license under national regulations.

Duffy had earlier stated he was holding back $40 million from California for not enforcing English language requirements for CDL holders.

Strong Response from the Team

"One-time television figure, now cabinet member, continues to misunderstand U.S. regulations," his administration said in a recent release addressing the funding warnings. "In the meantime, in contrast to this person, we focus on reality: The state's CDL holders had a death rate significantly lower than the countrywide rate. The state of Texas – the sole state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Data speaks for itself. The federal leadership misleads."

Voter Sentiment and Campaign Considerations

A recent poll showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and a significant portion of the electorate said that Newsom should run for the White House in the next election cycle. After the current administration began, public support for the governor has grown to an typical level of 33.5% from previous levels, while his negative ratings has fallen from an average of over 40% to under 40%.

Some time ago, the governor commented while on a trip several key regions that he had "no idea" about his future for the next presidential election.

He mentioned his personal struggles, including being identified as dyslexic at the age of five.

"The notion that a person who had modest test scores, who still struggles to read scripts, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, alone, remarkable," he commented. "Who the hell knows? I await who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that's the question for the American people."