‘Not Easy’: Mark Halperin Dumps Cold Water On ‘Likelihood’ Of Gavin Newsom Running For President In 2028

Political analyst Mark Halperin expressed doubt on Tuesday about Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom launching a 2028 presidential campaign.

Newsom holds 7% support among Democratic 2028 primary voters for who they would like to be their party’s presidential nominee in 2028, trailing only Vice President Kamala Harris, who is at 37%, according to a November Emerson College poll. However, Halperin, on “American Agenda,” suggested Newsom may lack both the ambition and circumstances necessary to mount a White House bid.

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“A lot of what Democrats want to see is someone who will be tough and take the fight directly to Donald Trump in a telegenic way … I think objectively he has some of those skills. I will say, I continue to believe people overstate his willingness to make the personal sacrifices to run for president,” Halperin said. “And also running for president from California geographically in the space time continuum is not easy to do. And again, I think if you combine that with the personal challenges, I think people, again, are overstating the likelihood that he’ll be a major player in ’28.”

“He’s got young kids. He’s got a wife who, by all accounts, is not super enthusiastic about this … I think it’s an under-discussed reality that a lot of the governors, including Governor Newsom, who are talked about as potential ’28 candidates … they’re just more ambivalent,” he added. “They don’t have the drive. Most people I know who run for president effectively wake up every morning and say, what are the 10 things I need to do today to increase my chances of winning? And if one of them is chew through handcuffs, they’ll do it. I just don’t get the sense that that’s where Gavin Newsom’s head is at.”