California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he will not run for president in 2028 if former vice president Kamala Harris seeks the office again.
“Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a clip released Monday. “I wouldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do it to me. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
The governor said it would be a “waste of everyone’s time” for him to pursue a presidential bid if Harris did again.
Neither of the pair, who share deep roots in California politics, have explicitly said they will launch a 2028 run, but both have indicated they are considering it. In the new video, Newsom said having them both in the primary field would be “mutual assured destruction,” citing their overlapping political bases and circles.
“The [Venn] diagram on that is just pure crossover,” Newsom said while fly-fishing with Tapper in an interview that is set to air in full Tuesday.
The remarks appear to be the first time that Newsom, widely viewed as a top-tier Democratic contender for 2028, has directly said he would not stand in Harris’s way if she wanted to go after the presidency once more.
Newsom made the same vow ahead of the 2024 race, as pressure for President Joe Biden to drop out intensified and some speculated that the California governor might be interested in replacing him. Newsom was quick to endorse Harris, throwing his support behind her before she was even elevated to the top of the ticket.
Her loss in the general election to Donald Trump devastated Democrats, many of whom now say the party needs a new direction. But Harris would enter any race with high name recognition and the chance to orchestrate a campaign on a full timeline that she did not have in 2024.
Newsom has been among more than a dozen high-profile leaders to court speculation that he will stage a run.
“You have to feel like you can stand on that stage with what, 30?” he said in the new interview, adding shortly after there could be “31 flavors” of Democrats eyeing the White House.
Newsom and Harris were rising stars of California’s political universe for decades, never circling too far from each other. Both of their careers centered on San Francisco, where Newsom served as mayor before seeking a governor’s office role, and Harris was a prosecutor and district attorney before she became the California attorney general.
Another Californian, Rep. Ro Khanna (D), is also considering a 2028 run. Other potential Democratic contenders include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Jon Ossoff (Georgia) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York).
Newsom has generated considerable interest, especially in 2025, for his willingness to mock and confront Trump.
“You gotta be honest with yourself,” Newsom told Tapper in the new clip. “Do you represent the zeitgeist of the moment?”
“If Kamala runs then I already know we’re going to lose so I don’t need to step in to ensure we lose, she’s got it covered. If she doesn’t run, well then I have to because someone that might actually help people might win and we can’t have that.”
“Someone has to run a counter offensive against the left, so fascism can succeed”
Why is Harris somehow considered the favorite to win? She doesn’t stand a chance.
Nobody wants to bring back the weak, cowardly Biden era. We’re looking for Warriors, and that’s not Newsome or Harris.
I’m tired of Corpo-Establishment Dems. They’re the reason MAGA regained power. They don’t get a second chance to hand it back to MAGA.
Let’s talk about Mark Kelly, or AOC, or Ossoff.
Kelly and Ossoff both voted for the Laken Reilly act so they can both go right to hell
I always saw Harris as warrior in comparison to Biden
Everybody is a warrior compared to Biden.
Kelly is a zionism supporter. No Kelly.
Well, that blows. This Zionist stuff is new, and I have to re-calibrate who I’m supporting and how much, depending on their commitment to Zionism, and ESPECIALLY if they are denying the Gaza Genocide.
I am also giving them a bit of time to understand which way the winds are blowing, and that anti-Israeli sentiment is not going to abate, and change their tunes. A lot of Dems took AIPAC money like everyone else, without thinking that it meant someday they would have to defend genocide. I’m willing to allow those people to see the error of their ways, and change directions.
By the end of this year, though, I expect ALL Dems to be vocally anti-genocide, critical of Israel, and completely divested from AIPAC money. Any that can’t go along with those moral positions needs to be primaried in their next campaign.
I’ll have to check out Kelly, and then re-assess my support. Zionists are pro-Genicide, and that’s absolutely unforgivable in my book.
How about neither? Neither is good.
Neither is best
Newsom said having them both in the primary field would be “mutual assured destruction,” citing their overlapping political bases and circles. “The [Venn] diagram on that is just pure crossover”
If you know your political base is exactly the same as someone who already ran and lost, maybe that’s a sign that there’s something deficient with your politics.
We live in hell. These are the options… Corpo Lameduck, or Corpo Sleezebag.
Ya know, while we’re at it, lets just give Hillary another shot too. Like a cascade of shit. If not Hillary then Kamala, if not Kamala then Newsome, if not Newsome then Fetterman…
Still, corpo sleezebag is a proven pedophile, fraudulent rapist who is actively robbing you blind, trying to cheat the election any way he can, tried to overthrow the government. I’ll take corpo lameduck over the sleezebag anytime
oh, you thought I comparing them to trump? nonono… both Newsome and Kamala are corpo cronies. Kamala is lame, and Newsome is a sleaze
Are they preferable to Trump?.. sure, but that’s like, the bare minimum. And it’s how the DNC gets away with providing such absolute dogshit candidates… their argument will be “well, if you don’t like it then you get trump” and so we’re forced to just accept our hyper liberal overlords who will continue to fuck us.
I think I got the midterms and presidential election mixed up
Don’t give them ideas, I could see it happening. Or Chelsea.
Fuck it just have Cheney run
Neither.
I’m mentally preparing for President Tucker Carlson or President Kanye West come 2028 already. Thank you.
If Harris runs and newsom drops out maybe this is great, we can primary someone who can actually win!
Both shouldn’t
Not beating the accusations that the DNC primary is rigged
Holy fucking Jesus.
And at that point, I’ll forever vote third party if either one of these weak establishment hacks get the democratic nomination.
If we’re stuck with either one, then voting Dem is finally like flogging a completely dead horse.
The time to act is NOW to support the people you want to be voting for later.
If you seriously get to the general presidential election and choose to vote for the fascist option, then you deserve what you get. I sure as fuck don’t.
edit: because I shouldn’t have to say this, but I do not wish to vote for either of them. But I sure as fuck will if they’re the nominee. Because whatever fascist runs against whatever Democrat will be worse.
Well Republicans win again in 2028 then.
Why? Harris and Newsome aren’t the only candidates. I don’t care if they run, they won’t win the nomination anyway. Let them run, so the good candidates can point out how they both represent failed versions of the Democratic Party.
I don’t care if they run, they won’t win the nomination anyway
I wish I had your optimism. People said the same thing about Hillary v Bernie… and we got Trump.
Because the party fundamentally does not understand your own society. Like it or not that giant orange fuck has united the Republicans. They are one force on many things. The democrats are so divided that I don’t see a way for them to unite unless a newcomer comes out of nowhere and squashed all dessent within the numbers.
And a republican is going to vote republican no matter what. You get some people that switch, but statistically unimportant overall. If a democrat doesnt like the winner of the primaries, they are more likely to not vote at all.
Democrats are so busy fighting other democrats that the Republicans have an easy time sweeping the next election. The system is broken on the most fundamental level and its not going to be repaired.
How about this neither of those AIPAC supported, corporate owned, isreal supporting dumbasses should be anywhere near running for president. Fucking ludicrous.
I’ll say it again, I don’t give a fuck who runs in the primary so long as we have a fair and honest primary without any DNC shenanigans.
