California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed he intends to seriously consider a 2028 presidential bid once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.
In an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, the Democratic governor said bluntly, “Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” when asked if he was weighing a White House run.
His current term ends in January 2027, and term limits prevent him from seeking another.
Newsom said his decision to enter the presidential race is far from final, claiming, “Fate will determine that.”
My fellow Americans,
After much soul-searching (and a few kale smoothies in my solar-powered mansion), I've decided to throw my perfectly coiffed hair into the ring. Yes, you heard it here first—I'm running for President in 2028! 🇺🇸✨ Why now? Well, as I just hinted on CBS this… pic.twitter.com/IHYDGIniRd
— Newsom for President 2028 (Parody) (@GavinNewsom28) October 26, 2025
The California Democrat, known for his vocal opposition to President Donald Trump, has been using his platform to champion progressive causes while clashing repeatedly with the administration over immigration, education, and energy policies.
His most recent proposal to expand Democratic representation in Congress through a controversial redistricting initiative has sparked backlash among conservatives who accuse him of trying to manipulate electoral boundaries for partisan gain.
Earlier this year, when asked about 2028 ambitions during a series of stops in key battleground states, Newsom told CBS, “I have no idea.”
He discussed his struggles with dyslexia, saying, “The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary.”
He also noted that the future “depends on who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment.”
Despite his potential aspirations for a presidential bid, Newsom faces federal funding issues in his home state.
Gavin Newsom is ignoring the rules of the road, and innocent people are being killed because of it.
STOP ISSUING THESE ILLEGAL LICENSES FOR TRUCK DRIVERS @CAgovernor
I’m about to pull $160 million from California… and more consequences may be on the way. pic.twitter.com/syom6FxGUd
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) October 26, 2025
On Fox News Sunday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced he intends to pull $160 million in federal funds from California and warned he may revoke the state’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses.
His remarks followed a deadly crash involving an undocumented truck driver, which left three people dead and four injured.
“I’m about to pull $160 million from California, and as we pull more money, we also have the option of pulling California’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses,” Duffy disclosed.
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He blasted the governor’s policies, alleging, “Newsom cares more about illegals getting CDLs than he does the citizens of his own state.”
According to Duffy, his department gave the governor 30 days to fix the licensing issue under a September 26 directive.
“Gavin Newsom has thumbed his nose at us. He has refused to comply with the rules that have come from DOT,” Duffy continued.
“Stop issuing these licenses and go back and review all the licenses that you have issued and make sure it’s been done legally.”
This is Gavin Newsom’s California.
How many more lives is it going to take for @CAgovernor to put the American people first? pic.twitter.com/ieh46T7IE8
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) October 26, 2025
The transportation secretary said California had already been penalized $40 million for failing to enforce English language requirements for commercial drivers.
Newsom’s office responded by pointing out that the federal government repeatedly approved the employment authorization of the driver involved in the fatal crash, allowing him to legally obtain a commercial driver’s license.
“This is a tragic situation and as with every tragedy over the last ten months, Secretary [Kristi] Noem has ordered Secretary Duffy to look for every opportunity to manipulate the facts to score cheap political points,” Newsom’s team said in a statement.
This is tragic, and as with every tragedy over the last ten months, Secretary Noem has ordered Secretary Duffy to look for every opportunity to manipulate the facts to score cheap political points.
But the facts remain:
– The state does not determine commercial driver’s… https://t.co/x465iNU6Am
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 23, 2025
“The federal government needs to look within before they cast blame outside.”
The statement went on to accuse Washington of enabling the driver’s eligibility.
“[They] approved and renewed this individual’s federal employment authorization multiple times – which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver’s license in accordance with federal law.”
Newsom responded with a jab at the Trump administration after reports of staffing shortages at Southern California airports due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Hell of a job, @SecDuffy.
Can’t wait to see what you do with NASA. https://t.co/VenPP5IlEQ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 26, 2025
r“Hell of a job, Secretary Duffy. Can’t wait to see what you do with NASA,” his press office posted sarcastically.
In a recent appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Newsom stoked controversy when he opened up about his upbringing, sharing how his mother worked tirelessly to support their family.
“My mom was 19, pregnant and divorced a few years later, with two kids,” he said. “Came from no money and just hustled. You know, worked hard, grinding every single day. Two and a half jobs, no bulls—.”
He recalled frequent financial struggles, saying they often had roommates because his mother couldn’t afford rent.
“It was just like hustling… I was out there, kind of raising myself, turning on the TV, just getting obsessed. I was sitting there with the Wonder Bread…the macaroni and cheese.”
Critics have questioned the narrative, noting that Newsom’s father, William Newsom, served as a judge and attorney for the wealthy Getty family, suggesting the governor’s upbringing may not have been as dire as portrayed.
Later in the podcast, the conversation shifted to immigration enforcement under President Trump.
When asked how the country could “recover” from Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Newsom said, “We talk about authoritarianism, and people say, ‘What do you feel here?’ For guys like me, maybe not yet. But for the black and brown community, are you kidding me?”
He condemned what he called a climate of fear created by federal immigration operations.
The California lawmaker accused federal agents of targeting individuals based on appearance, language, or accent, describing 2025 America as a place where “people [are] disappearing [with] no due process rights.”
Newsom alleged that “masked” ICE agents have been “jumping out the back of U-Haul trucks” to detain “Americans, tourists, [and] some people here with documentation, some without.”
He said, “That’s America in 2025 — Donald Trump. Terror on the streets of America.”
He also accused immigration authorities of brutal tactics, describing instances where agents are “attacking people who are naked and sleeping, literally putting guns to their heads and zip-tying them,” before “throwing them onto the streets.”
He claimed these incidents began in Los Angeles and continue “to this day.”
