California governor says he might run for 2028 presidency

(MENAFN) California Governor Gavin Newsom indicated Sunday that he is considering a run for the White House in 2028, describing President Donald Trump as "a wrecking ball."

"Yeah, I'd be lying otherwise," Newsom, 58, said in an interview regarding the possibility of entering the presidential race. "I'd just be lying. And I'm not — I can't do that."

Newsom’s current term as governor concludes in January 2027, and due to state term limits, he cannot seek re-election. He noted that any formal announcement about a presidential run is likely several years away. "Fate will determine that," he said.

Currently, Newsom is focused on redrawing California’s congressional maps through Proposition 50, which could create up to five new Democratic seats. This effort comes after Texas passed a redistricting plan that may add five Republican seats, aimed at maintaining their Congressional majority ahead of the 2026 midterms.

While Texas enacted the changes through Republican state leadership, Newsom has put the decision in the hands of California voters with a November 4 ballot measure.

Newsom also criticized Trump’s leadership style and policies. "He's a wrecking ball," he said. "He's wrecking alliances, truth, trust, tradition, institutions." He further described Trump as "an invasive species ... for the country, for the world," noting that federal immigration raids in California contributed to his contemplation of a presidential bid.

The governor framed Proposition 50 as a defense of democracy, aiming to prevent what he called an authoritarian approach under Trump. "We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across this country. We're giving the power to the people," Newsom said. "I think it's about our democracy, it's about the future of this Republic. I think it's about, you know, what the founding fathers lived and died for, this notion of the rule of law, not the rule of Don."

Newsom emphasized that the ballot measure is not solely about redistricting but about maintaining balance between the federal government’s branches. "Finally, you have rebalanced this system, a co-equal branch of government begins to assert itself, it appears again," he stated, warning that unchecked power could allow Trump to bypass the constitutional two-term limit. "If you have a (Republican House) Speaker (Mike) Johnson, you may have a third term of President Trump. I really believe that."

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