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The California governor, a leading member of the Democratic party, has indicated that he will decide on whether to run for president in 2028 following the 2026 midterm elections are over.

"Yeah, it would be dishonest otherwise," the governor stated when questioned about giving serious thought to a campaign for president after the 2026 ballots. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I'm not."

Newsom's current term as California's leader wraps up in early 2027, and he cannot run again. But, he noted that any determination 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 notable opponent of the Trump administration, using his online platforms and pushing a proposition that would increase the party's congressional seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This action has invited attacks from critics.

Clash on Transportation

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, accused that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a recent interview on a major news network. Duffy announced a strategy to withhold taxpayer dollars from the state and threatened suspending the state's ability to grant trucking licenses.

"I plan to withdraw $160 million from California," he said, following a this week's deadly accident in the state involving an unauthorized semi truck driver that led to fatalities and four injuries.

His administration pointed out that the U.S. government had renewed the worker's status on several occasions, which enabled him to receive a CDL under U.S. law.

Duffy had previously stated he was holding back $40m from the state for failing to implement linguistic standards for truck drivers.

Firm Rebuttal from the Governor's Office

"One-time television figure, now cabinet member, still doesn't understand federal law," the governor's team retorted in a recent release countering the funding warnings. "Meanwhile, unlike this clown, we rely on data: California truck drivers had a death rate much lower than the U.S. average. The state of Texas – the single state with a larger number of CDL holders – has a rate markedly elevated than the state. Data speaks for itself. This administration is dishonest."

Public Opinion and Future Prospects

A recently conducted survey showed that a majority of the party and a significant portion of the electorate indicated that the governor must consider running for the White House in the next election cycle. After the current administration began, Newsom's favorability has risen to an mean of 33.5% from previous levels, while his disapproval has fallen from an average of previous highs to 38.4%.

In previous months, the governor remarked while traveling several swing states that he had "uncertainty" about his future for 2028.

He mentioned his personal struggles, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early childhood.

"The thought that a individual who scored 960 on the SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was often seated at the back – the fact that this is even suggested is, in and of itself, remarkable," he said. "Who the hell knows? I am eager to see who presents themselves in the next election and who answers the call. And that remains the key point for the American people."