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Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has revealed that he intends to decide on whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 following the 2026 midterm elections wrap up.

"Absolutely, it would be dishonest if I denied it," Newsom commented when asked about giving serious thought to a campaign for president post the 2026 midterms. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I won't do that."

Newsom's tenure as governor ends in early 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he cautioned that any determination is still years away.

"The future will decide," he added.

Rising Profile as a Trump Critic

The California governor has come to the forefront as a high-profile adversary of the current federal leadership, employing his social media accounts and advocating for a initiative that would increase Democratic House seats in following Republican redistricting efforts. This action has invited attacks from adversaries.

Controversy Over Funds

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, alleged that the governor is indifferent about Californians in a recent segment on a major news network. Duffy announced plans to pull government money from the state and threatened eliminating the authority to grant CDLs.

"I'm about to pull $160m from California," Duffy declared, after a recently reported deadly accident in California involving an unauthorized trucker that caused loss of life and injured individuals.

Newsom's office highlighted that the national authorities had reauthorized the worker's status repeatedly, which allowed him to secure a commercial driver's license under national regulations.

Duffy had previously announced he was holding back additional funds from California for ignoring language proficiency rules for truck drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Team

"Former D-list reality star, now cabinet member, fails to grasp national statutes," his administration said in a last month's release countering Duffy's threats. "Meanwhile, in contrast to this person, we focus on reality: The state's commercial driver's license holders had a death rate significantly lower than the national average. The state of Texas – the single state with more commercial holders – has a rate substantially higher than California. Data speaks for itself. The federal leadership misleads."

Polling Data and Campaign Considerations

A recently conducted study showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and almost half of voters said that the governor must consider running for the White House in 2028. In recent years, his approval ratings has increased to an average of a third from around 30%, while his negative ratings has dropped from an average of over 40% to under 40%.

Some time ago, Newsom stated while on a trip several swing states that he had "no idea" about his intentions for 2028.

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

"The notion that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was often seated at the back – the fact that this is even suggested is, alone, amazing," he stated. "No one can say? I await who emerges in 2028 and who answers the call. And that remains the key point for the voters."