(NewsNation) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has seen a bump in favorability as he has engaged in a war of words against President Donald Trump amid rumors he could run for the Democratic nomination in 2028.
The governor’s willingness to battle the president has made his popularity soar, with a new poll finding that Newsom’s overall approval rating is now at 56%, a 10% jump since June. Among Democrats in California, his approval rating is 82%.
Newsom announced this morning that he will be releasing a memoir next year, fueling new speculation about a 2028 presidential run.
“A lot of people look at me, the stark white shirt, the blue suit and yeah, the gelled hair and they think, ‘Oh, I know this guy. I know this guy better than I ever want to know.’ I get it,” Newsom said in the announcement. “This is the story of a kid who always felt like he wasn’t quite enough.”
The book release comes as Newsom is seeing a bump in approval after his attacks on Trump on social media, his forceful pushback against immigration raids and his successful November campaign for Prop 50, which allowed redistricting in California to counter Republican redistricting in other states.
All of that has positioned Newsom as Trump’s biggest political opponent. New polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows his favorability soaring, with half of Californians saying they approve of the governor and the state’s heavily Democratic state legislature.
The numbers also suggest Newsom could fill a void for a leader of the Democratic Party, a party some have viewed as down and defeated after Trump’s 2024 win.
Newsom recently confirmed interest in a potential 2028 run, with polling showing him as a leading candidate in a primary for the Democratic nomination with 25% support, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris. He also had the highest favorability in a matchup against a Republican candidate.
Newsom has also worked to raise his profile both nationally and internationally, launching a podcast interviewing political figures from both sides of the aisle and recently traveling to Brazil for a climate change conference.
The governor will step down in 2027 after his second term, with term limits preventing him from seeking a third.