‘I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?’: Gavin Newsom’s blunt answer about running against Kamala Harris

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to enter the race. As reported by The New York Times, Newsom made the comment during a fly fishing trip in Montana while speaking with CNN anchor Jake Tapper, saying, “I wouldn’t run if she ran. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”

The comment is a notable development for anyone following the Democratic field, since Newsom has spent months building a national profile that many have interpreted as preparation for a presidential run. He has made two separate trips to South Carolina, the first state on the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating calendar, and launched a podcast featuring guests ranging from Democratic governors to Hunter Biden and the late Charlie Kirk.

When Tapper suggested some might argue Harris is not the strongest candidate given her loss in the 2024 election, Newsom acknowledged the point, calling it “a pretty good one, actually,” and saying it was “objectively true.” He pivoted back to loyalty, however, noting the overlap between his and Harris’s networks of supporters and friends, which he described as “pure crossover,” before reiterating that he would not run against her.

Harris has said she is still weighing her own decision

Harris has been increasingly open about her own thinking on 2028. During the 2026 National Action Network Convention, she told Rev. Al Sharpton she is considering a run, saying, “I might, I might. I’m thinking about it.” She pointed to her time as vice president as giving her a unique perspective on the presidency, noting she spent years in the West Wing and the Situation Room and said she understands what the job requires, remarks that came during the same convention where other 2028 hopefuls tested their own messaging.

Newsom’s spokesman, Bob Salladay, did not clarify the governor’s specific intentions but said the two have been friends long enough that they would not play games over something this significant. It remains possible Newsom could launch a campaign before Harris makes a final decision, or that he believes she ultimately will not run at all.

The broader field of potential 2028 Democratic contenders already appears crowded. Other governors and officials, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have been raising their profiles as well. According to CNN, several of these potential candidates have also criticized the Trump administration’s foreign policy, with Buttigieg saying troops’ lives should not be put at risk without other viable alternatives.

The 2028 primary cycle is expected to begin in earnest after this year’s midterm elections, and Newsom’s pledge is likely to face renewed scrutiny once Harris makes her decision.