California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says his family will ultimately decide whether he seeks the White House in 2028, even as his national profile and political stock continue to rise.
Son’s Text Shapes Newsom’s 2028 Decision
Speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday, Newsom said, “My son, Romeo, was very powerful, texted me a few months ago, and there was some headline that suggested that I made some decision, and he goes, ‘Dad, are you running [for] president?'”
Newsom said he answered that they would make the choice together as a family, only for his son to push back and tell him he was “too young” and needed more time with his father, a reaction the governor described as emotionally disarming and hard to ignore.
The exchange comes as prediction markets and early polling increasingly cast Newsom as a leading Democratic contender for 2028, with one Kalshi contract recently giving him roughly a one-third chance of winning the nomination, tracking him alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other potential rivals.
Progressive Firebrand Builds National Profile Against Trump
The second-term governor’s national star has climbed in large part through his outspoken opposition to President Donald Trump. Newsom has used combative social media posts, sometimes in all caps and loaded with slogans like “PAY MORE AND ENJOY NOTHING,” to attack Trump’s tariff plans and portray him as raising costs for everyday Americans, a style that is comparable to Trump’s own online tactics.
Newsom has also continually had broader clashes with Trump over immigration crackdowns and National Guard deployments, as the governor frames himself as a defender of state sovereignty and blue-state values.
Democrats Regroup As Newsom Steps Global Stage
Democrats, meanwhile, are still regrouping after losing the White House and Congress in 2024, a wipeout Newsom has said the party has yet to fully reckon with. Newsom has earlier argued that the “Democratic Party of old” is gone and urged a more aggressive strategy to counter Republican hardball tactics, pointing to recent ballot wins and redistricting fights as proof the party can still score victories.
More recently, Newsom has also stepped onto the world stage, traveling to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Munich Security Conference this year to argue that Trump’s return has shaken global confidence in the United States.
Photo courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shuttertsock.com
Recent Comments