California Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN‘s Jake Tapper that he will not run for president in 2028 if Kamala Harris enters the race.

“I don’t know if she runs but we’ll see,” Newsom said while the two fly-fished in Montana.

“But I wouldn’t run if she ran,” he added.

Tapper seemed perplexed by Newsom’s statement.

“If she runs, you will not,” Tapper said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom said.

“I wouldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?” he continued.

Watch the exchange:

POLITICO shared further:

Newsom’s apparent deference to his fellow Californian — which he cast as an acknowledgement of political reality instead of sentimentality — is the latest development in a potential career collision between the two ambitious politicians. It also raises practical questions about their timelines for deciding on a White House bid — and whether Newsom would enter the race if Harris remained undecided.

Newsom has been laying groundwork for a national campaign for well over a year, using his redistricting campaign as a de facto launch pad. Harris publicly acknowledged she was thinking about running again four months ago. With her near-universal name identification, she can afford to wait longer than other contenders to hop into the race.

Speaking to Tapper, Newsom framed his stance in politically strategic terms, suggesting it would benefit every other primary candidate if they did compete.

Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom are among the frontrunners in most polls for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

More from the New York Post:

Newsom has said previously that he would only run for president if all of his four children, who are between the ages of 10 and 17, agree to it.

The governor recently told PBS that two of his children are for it, while two are currently against the idea.

ADVERTISEMENT

Newsom and wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom are facing legal pressures as federal investigators probe their finances.

Siebel Newsom’s taxes are one target of multiple investigations touching on Newsom’s orbit.

The San Francisco Standard reported last week that investigators have also subpoenaed records related to the governor’s travel, much of which is funded by the nonprofit California Protocol Foundation.

Newsom has dismissed the investigations as a political hit job.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.