IDK where you got the idea that all of a sudden now he’s being talked up as a candidate.
it’s not all of a sudden. it’s been obvious for years that the presidency is the goal he’s working towards. don’t confuse “I only started paying attention recently” with “this only started recently”.
Many journalists and political analysts have mentioned Newsom as a presidential hopeful. According to a June 2023 poll by NewsNation, 22% of California voters wanted Newsom to enter the 2024 presidential election. In May 2023, Schwarzenegger said it was a “no-brainer” that Newsom would someday run for president. An April 2023 article published in The Hill by journalist Sharon Udasin also discussed the inevitability of a Newsom presidential run. In September 2022, Newsom said that he would not run for president in 2024, citing his “vulnerable” 2021 recall. After his 2022 reelection, he informed White House staff that he would not challenge President Biden in the Democratic primaries; he endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign on April 25, 2023.
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In anticipation of a potential 2028 presidential campaign, Newsom has adjusted his political approach to appeal to a broader electorate. A key shift in his strategy has been his engagement with conservative voices, including hosting MAGA figures like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his podcast, This is Gavin Newsom. While this tactic has received a fair amount of criticism from his own supporters, Newsom has also been praised by figures on the left for his hawkish response to the Trump administration’s actions regarding gerrymandering, with his widely publicized Election Rigging Response Act in August 2025 seen by many commentators as a soft launch of a presidential run.
he’s savvy enough to play the long game. running in 2020 would have been seen as premature, because he only started as governor in Jan 2019. didn’t want to rock the boat in 2024 by challenging Biden or Harris. he’s term-limited as CA governor which means he can’t run for re-election in 2026. he is absolutely 1000% going to run in 2028.
and yeah he hasn’t formally announced yet, but no one has at this point in the cycle. like, JD Vance hasn’t either even though as VP of a theoretically-term-limited president he’s obviously going to be in the running too.
it’s not all of a sudden. it’s been obvious for years that the presidency is the goal he’s working towards. don’t confuse “I only started paying attention recently” with “this only started recently”.
from his wikipedia:
he’s savvy enough to play the long game. running in 2020 would have been seen as premature, because he only started as governor in Jan 2019. didn’t want to rock the boat in 2024 by challenging Biden or Harris. he’s term-limited as CA governor which means he can’t run for re-election in 2026. he is absolutely 1000% going to run in 2028.
and yeah he hasn’t formally announced yet, but no one has at this point in the cycle. like, JD Vance hasn’t either even though as VP of a theoretically-term-limited president he’s obviously going to be in the running too.