Image courtesy of photographer Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu, accessed by Snopes via Getty Images.
Since becoming California's governor in January 2019, Gavin Newsom's profile has grown to the point where numerous prediction market companies have him listed as the favorite to become the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nominee.
Some have attributed his rise to his ongoing trolling of President Donald Trump, whom Newsom has repeatedly mocked on social media, generating millions of likes along the way. Others have questioned the California governor's online tactics, even referring to them as "childish," which sparked this response from the former San Francisco mayor: "ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON'T GET IT."
With Newsom gaining more attention, so too have claims about him.
It is widely believed he will launch a 2028 presidential run, despite calling such speculation "fodder" in 2022. However, in June 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that he said although he is "not thinking about running" for president, it was "a path that [he] could see unfold." In a March 2, 2026, episode of British podcast "The Rest Is Politics: Leading" (from 38:38 onward), Alastair Campbell, ex-strategist for former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, asked Newsom whether he was "definitely going to run." The governor's response offered no clarity: "I don't know. To be determined."
Though Snopes has no inside knowledge on that rumor, we can offer clarity on other claims about him. Below is a collection of some of our work analyzing the tales and truths about Newsom:
