California Governor Gavin Newsom said he is considering a run for US president in 2028 and will make a decision after the 2026 midterm elections.

In an interview on CBS, Newsom said he would "be lying otherwise" if he denied considering a presidential campaign.

"I'm looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that's the question for the American people," he said in the interview that aired on Sunday.

Newsom vs Trump

Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011 and has been the governor of California since 2019. 

The Democrat has been one of the prominent voices against US President Donald Trump, notably earning the Republican leader's ire for parodying his social media style of all-caps posts and frequent use of AI-generated images.

Newsom has also clashed with Trump over immigration policy, National Guard deployments, and redistricting efforts.

The California governor is behind the state's push to redraw congressional maps to offset Republican-led redistricting in other states.

Newsom, 58, has called Trump "an invasive species," saying, "He's wrecking alliances, truth, trust, tradition, institutions."

Although, under the US Constitution, Trump cannot seek a third term, he has hinted at making an effort saying earlier this year, "there are methods which you could do it."

Edited by: John Silk