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The California governor, a well-known member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he plans to decide on whether to seek the White House in 2028 after the 2026 congressional elections conclude.

"Absolutely, it would be dishonest if I said no," the governor commented when asked about giving serious thought to a campaign for president following the 2026 midterms. "I'd just be lying. And I won't do that."

The governor's time in office as California's leader ends in early 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. But, he cautioned that any choice is still years away.

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

Growing Prominence as a Trump Critic

The California governor has come to the forefront as a high-profile opponent of the Trump administration, employing his online platforms and advocating for a proposition that would boost Democratic House seats in following Republican redistricting efforts. This strategy has drawn criticism from adversaries.

Federal Funding Dispute

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, claimed that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a Sunday appearance on Fox News. The secretary disclosed a strategy to pull taxpayer dollars from the state and threatened revoking the power to provide trucking licenses.

"I'm about to pull $160m from the state," he said, in the wake of a this week's deadly accident in California involving an undocumented semi truck driver that resulted in loss of life and casualties.

The governor's team highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the worker's status repeatedly, which enabled him to obtain a commercial driver's license under U.S. law.

Duffy had earlier announced he was blocking $40 million from California for ignoring linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Strong Response from the Governor's Office

"One-time television figure, now cabinet member, fails to grasp federal law," the governor's team retorted in a recent statement responding to Duffy's threats. "For now, unlike this clown, we'll stick to the facts: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a death rate significantly lower than the national average. Texas – the only state with more commercial holders – has a rate markedly elevated than California. Statistics are clear. This administration is dishonest."

Voter Sentiment and Future Prospects

A recently conducted poll revealed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and a significant portion of the electorate indicated that the governor must consider running for president in 2028. After the current administration began, public support for the governor has increased to an mean of about one-third from around 30%, while his unfavorability has dropped from an typical level of more than 40% to under 40%.

Some time ago, Newsom remarked while on a trip several battleground states that he had "no idea" about his future for 2028.

He noted his earlier challenges, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of five.

"The notion that a individual who got 960 on his 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, remarkable," he stated. "It's anyone's guess? I am eager to see who emerges in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that is the issue for the voters."