Newsom threatens legal action against Trump’s federal employees in state
Gov. Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump’s sending of federal troops to San Francisco is part of an “authoritarian strategy.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would consider a run for the White House after next year’s midterm elections, following months of speculation that the Democratic figure was preparing to run for president in 2028.
In a recorded interview on “CBS News Sunday Morning” that aired on October 26, Newsom said he was “seriously considering” running for president.
Asked if he was considering it, Newsom said, “If you’re not, you’re lying.” “I’m just lying. And I’m not. I can’t do that.”
This is not the first time Newsom has expressed interest in the nation’s highest political office, having been at the top of the Democratic list for several years. Before former President Joe Biden ended his 2024 campaign and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom’s name was often floated as a possible Democratic nominee if Biden decided not to seek another term.
Despite the speculation, the governor was one of the most vocal delegates in the Biden-Harris campaign, staunchly supporting Biden as a candidate and then Harris. Newsom has gained attention in recent years for his confrontational stance with Republican politicians in debates and on social media.
Since President Donald Trump began his second term in January, Newsom has become increasingly hostile to the Republican administration, once again positioning himself as a leader of the Democratic resistance movement against the Trump administration.
It’s a role he played during the president’s first term, and he made headlines in recent months with viral social media posts and videos in which he publicly sparred with the president and Vice President J.D. Vance.
The governor has also launched various legal challenges, including one over sending thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June. Mr. Newsom supports a statewide voting bill known as Proposition 50, which would counter Texas’ redistricting efforts to redistrict the state’s House districts and create five more Democratic-friendly seats by 2030.
The latest polls show the bill has significant support in the deep-blue Golden State.
Mr. Newsom, 58, is a former mayor of San Francisco and is currently in his second term as governor of California. His term will end at the end of 2027.
In an interview with CBS recorded in San Jose, he declined to say when he plans to make a decision after the midterm elections.
“I’m looking forward to seeing who emerges in 2028 and who meets that moment,” Newsom said. “And that’s the question for the American people.”
Newsom’s interview aired a day after Harris told the BBC she had not yet ruled out running for president again after choosing not to run to replace Newsom as California’s next governor.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml.
