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Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has disclosed that he will decide on whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 after the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Yeah, I would be lying if I denied it," the governor remarked when questioned about seriously considering a White House bid post the 2026 ballots. "That wouldn't be honest. And I can't do that."

Newsom's current term as California's leader concludes in the start of 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. But, he noted that any decision is a long way off.

"It's up to destiny," he remarked.

Rising Profile as a Trump Critic

The California governor has come to the forefront as a high-profile opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging his social media accounts and championing a proposition that would boost Democratic representation in Congress in following GOP gerrymandering. This action has drawn criticism from critics.

Controversy Over Funds

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, accused that the governor shows no concern about Californians in a Sunday appearance on a major news network. Duffy announced a strategy to withhold taxpayer dollars from the state and threatened eliminating the power to provide CDLs.

"I plan to withdraw a significant sum from the state," he stated, in the wake of a recent tragic collision in California involving an undocumented semi truck driver that caused loss of life and four injuries.

The governor's team noted that the national authorities had renewed the driver's employment multiple times, which permitted him to secure a commercial driver's license under national regulations.

Duffy had previously announced he was blocking $40 million from California for ignoring language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Team

"Ex-reality TV personality, now Secretary of Transportation, still doesn't understand U.S. regulations," Newsom's office said in a last month's release addressing Duffy's threats. "For now, as opposed to this individual, we'll stick to the facts: California truck drivers had a accident mortality rate significantly lower than the national average. The state of Texas – the sole state with more commercial holders – has a rate almost 50% higher than the state. Facts don't lie. The federal leadership misleads."

Polling Data and Future Prospects

A recent survey showed that 72% of Democrats and 48% of all registered voters said that the governor should run for the White House in 2028. After the current administration began, Newsom's favorability has increased to an average of a third from approximately 30%, while his negative ratings has fallen from an average of over 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, Newsom commented while traveling several key regions that he had "uncertainty" about his intentions for 2028.

He mentioned his earlier challenges, including being found to have a learning disability at the early childhood.

"The notion that a guy who scored 960 on the SAT, who continues to find reading challenging, who was often seated at the back – the fact that this is even suggested is, by itself, extraordinary," he said. "Who the hell knows? I await who steps forward in the next election and who rises to the occasion. And that remains the key point for the U.S. citizens."