Newsom confirms he may run for president in 2028

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Governor Gavin Newsom has offered the most definitive response yet on his plans for a potential run for the White House in 2028.

In an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," he was asked whether it’s fair to say that after the midterm elections next year, he would give "serious thought" to putting his name in the hat for the next presidential election.

What we know:

Newsom confirmed it is a possibility and responded by saying, "Yeah. I'd be lying, otherwise. I’d just be lying, and I can’t do that."

The governor, whose second and final term ends in January 2027, has been one of the most outspoken voices within the Democratic Party against Donald Trump and his policies.

During the interview, which aired on Sunday, Newsom continued his unsparing criticism of the president.

"He’s an invasive species," the governor said, "for the country, for the world."

Newsom was asked what the compelling reason, what his "why," would be behind a decision to run.

"I think the biggest challenge for anyone who runs for any office is, people see right through you. If you don’t have that ‘why,’ you're doing it for the wrong reasons," the governor said, adding, "Faith will determine that."

He also said his final decision would be based on what the field of candidates looks like. 

"I'm looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment," the governor said, adding, "And that's the question for the American people.’

Harris leaves door open for another run 

Newsom’s comments were televised the same weekend Kamala Harris was quoted in an interview saying that she was not ruling out another run for the White House.

The former vice president and California attorney general told the BBC in an interview that was published on Saturday, that she believed, without doubt, her grandnieces would see a woman president "in their lifetime."

And when asked if that woman would be her, Harris responded with a "possibly."

The country's first woman vice president said she still has work to do.

"I am not done," Harris said. "I have lived my entire career as a life of service, and it's in my bones."

Timing of Newsom's remarks

Dig deeper:

Political experts said Newsom’s statements were not a surprise, and the timing was important.

"It’s not been a secret that that's been a desire of his for quite some time," KTVU political analyst Brian Sobel said. "What's bubbling up now is the specter of Kamala Harris maybe wanting to get back in the race. And pretty soon, other Democrat candidates from around the country on a national scale deciding they want to get into the race. So it's important for Newsom to get out in front of this, which he did in that interview."

Sobel also added that with Harris in the conversation about a possible run, it was important that Newsom planted the seed early on.

"He had to do that because he doesn't want Kamala Harris to gain any momentum here without his name being in the mix," Sobel explained.

Local perspective:

The political careers of both Harris and Newsom emerged from their high profile positions in San Francisco politics: Harris as former district attorney and Newsom as former mayor.

Sobel noted the intertwined dynamic between the two politicians. 

"Frankly, they've divided the spoils in California, Gavin Newsom became governor. Kamala Harris became a United States senator, and then went on to become a vice president. But they've kind of circled each other. But this would be a time when they'd actually go head-to-head. And I'm not sure that two people from California would emerge in a national referendum… in an election for president," Sobel said. "So they're going to have to work it out yet again."

Newsom's focus 

For now, Newsom said he’s focusing on passing Proposition 50 to allow a temporary change to California’s congressional district maps. The ballot measure is being put before California voters in the Nov. 4 special election. 

And he’s not letting up on his scathing criticisms of Trump.

"He's a wrecking ball. Not just the symbolism and substance of the East Wing," the governor said, making reference to the president’s plan to demolish part of the White House for a ballroom. "He's wrecking alliances, truth, trust, tradition, institutions."

SEE ALSO: White House demolition begins for Trump's ballroom: See photos

When it comes to Newsom's future and whether his next political career move would be to become a presidential candidate, "I have no idea," the governor said, as he also looked back at his path thus far. 

"The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary," the California governor said. "Who the hell knows?"

Gavin NewsomElectionDonald J. TrumpKamala HarrisPolitics