California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a simple three-word response when asked about his 2028 presidential ambitions: “It’s wildly premature.”
Then, without a hint of irony, Newsom announced he was heading to New Hampshire to campaign as part of a book tour.
“It’s wildly premature,” Newsom said when asked directly by The California Post whether he was running for president during a press conference Thursday.
The denial didn’t last long before Newsom pivoted to promoting his upcoming memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” set to hit shelves Feb. 24. The book is about Newsom’s “long personal journey that ultimately shaped him into one of the most recognizable and accomplished elected officials in America.”
“But there is a book — and by the way, it talks a lot about the Bay Area and our respective histories, and, I’m looking forward to sharing it,” Newsom said. “And we’ll be on that book tour, this weekend and a little bit through next week.”
That book tour will take him to Nashville, Tenn., where he headlines a Tennessee Democratic Party fundraiser, followed by stops in Georgia, South Carolina, and New Hampshire — key early voting states in Democratic presidential primaries.
“Not just my journey — we’ll see where it takes us — but it’s a precious time in American history and we’re on the 250th anniversary of this great adventure that our Founding Fathers conceived of in the best of the Roman Republic and Greek democracy,” he said.
“Whether or not we tempt fate and decide to enter in a particular race or serve in a particular office, all of us have a responsibility and a role at this time to stand tall, and I think that’s represented here today,” Newsom added.
The California governor also made two campaign trips to Europe recently, appearing with world leaders at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.
Newsom has previously been more honest about his presidential ambitions. Asked on CBS News whether he would give a presidential run “serious thought” after the 2026 midterms, Newsom said: “Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise. I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”
A University of New Hampshire poll released Wednesday showed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg currently leading potential 2028 Democratic contenders in the Granite State at 20%, with Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York tied at 15%. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona were each at 10%.
President Donald Trump has not been shy with his view of the California governor. “He’s done a terrible job,” Trump told reporters last year.
“I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent. Everybody knows.”
On the Republican side, Trump has floated both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential 2028 candidates, though he has not committed to either.
“JD’s fantastic, and Marco — they’re both fantastic, I think, really,” Trump told reporters Monday, before waving off the question. “Something I don’t have to worry about now. I’ve got three years to go.”