USA: Is Newsom preparing to run for president?

California's governor is Newsom also campaigning on his own behalf? As of: October 30, 2026 • 7:46 p.m

The election campaign in the USA is also an opportunity for politicians to position themselves - for the 2028 presidential election. California Governor Newsom is said to have ambitions - but there are many reservations.

At the same time as the midterms, a new governor will be elected in California. The Democratic incumbent Gavin Newsom is not allowed to run again after two terms in office.

In the past two years, and even during Donald Trump's first term in office, he has often sharply criticized the incumbent president. Newsom's social media appearances in which he satirizes those of Donald Trump and reinforces their ridicule have caused a stir.

There has long been speculation that Gavin Newsom could be a possible Democratic presidential candidate in the 2028 election. He has not yet announced that he plans to run in the Democratic primary, but there are many signs that he will.

In the run-up to the midterms, he was now traveling to other states to support Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. At campaign events, for example in South Carolina, enthusiastic Democratic supporters lined up to take a selfie with him.

Newsom was also in New Hampshire to support the local candidate Pappas. Observers suspect that Newsom was also concerned about himself.

He told CNN that he didn't want to bore anyone with his presence. His presence was an asset for the campaigns - not least because he helped collect donations. Some in the party wouldn't understand that he was traveling around the country and thought it was a waste of money. Especially in states like Alabama and the two Carolinas - areas that traditionally vote Republican.

If it was about a tight budget for election advertising, then maybe that could be the case, said Newsom. But time - it doesn't cost anything. People need to see that you are making the effort to go and listen. That they are important, that they are valued. His party neglected this for a long time.

Who will be elected, what issues will determine the election campaign and what chances do the Democrats have? more

But something else may also play an important role in why the outgoing governor is traveling thousands of miles from his California home: South Carolina will be the first state in which the Democrats hold primaries for their 2028 presidential candidate. One might get the idea that Newsom is also on a promotional tour for himself.

During an hour-long interview with CNN, he presented himself with fishing rod in hand in a kind of fly fishing home story. Probably no coincidence: around eight million people from more rural, conservative regions practice this sport. “How do you decide whether to run for president?” asked star reporter Jake Tapper, also wading in the water.

Newsom flirted that he had no experience with this, but the decision-making process is now underway. He has been discussed as a candidate for years.

Demonstratively close to the people: Gary Newsom fly fishing with CNN reporter Jake Tapper.

But he has actually become even more famous since he criticized Donald Trump for more than just the content. Even internationally, the way he makes fun of Trump's social media appearance has made waves: in capital letters he calls himself the "most popular governor of the USA, perhaps of all time" and posts AI-generated photos with his face as the fifth head on Mount Rushmore.

CNN reporter Tapper wanted to know whether that was really appropriate - Newsom countered that it was obvious satire, touched a nerve and was very successful. And he may not actually be allowed to say this, but his party simply lacks humor too often.

Newsom says he is watching, learning from his opponent - and applying his strategies. Clearly, self-righteousness and intellectual approaches alone would not move the Democrats forward. “Should people continue to suffer from Trump policies because we continue to play by old-fashioned rules?” was Newsom’s rhetorical question in an interview with the public television station PBS.

Fighting Trump with Trump's methods: Newsom believes this strategy is promising.

Newsom is still keeping it open whether he will actually run or not - just like Kamala Harris, who failed because of Trump. Harris announced six months ago at the annual conference of the civil rights movement National Action Network that she was considering running for office.

If the ex-vice president runs again, he will not run. The potential overlap between the two among Democratic sympathizers and independent voters is too great. When a candidate Harris and a candidate Newsom cannibalize each other, it only benefits others.

Harris and Newsom share a problem: California is often seen as absurdly woke and arrogant in the rest of the country - despite the extremely high cost of living. Both are considered by critics to have failed in office. In Newsom's case, it's about excessive bureaucracy and environmental regulations, the cost of living, the massive housing shortage with corresponding prices and a dramatic homeless problem.

Newsom counters that California's economic output has grown by 40 percent, that he has made it easier to build housing and has introduced an item in the state's budget to combat homelessness in cities.

There is movement among the US Democrats on the question of the next presidential election. Kamala Harris is also considering a comeback

Nevertheless, Newsom is seen by critics - including some from his own camp - as someone who hangs his flag in the wind, as glib and who is only interested in his career. When Newsom traveled to other states in the run-up to the midterms, it was certainly also about getting a feel for how promising a candidacy could be.

"You have to honestly ask yourself," he said in the Angel home story on CNN, "do you fit into the zeitgeist or are you just stealing time from everyone?"

Newsom convinced at least one potential voter at a campaign rally in South Carolina. Christian Merdner, a registered Democratic voter, told the PBS station there: "He is intelligent, authentic, humorous. Humor and sensitivity go together, as does communication and trust - and he has all of that."

This topic in the program: NDR Info | News | Oct 23, 2026 | 3:22 p.m