Governor Gavin Newsom is sounding the alarm over President Trump, insisting that Trump’s jokes about running again in 2028 are actually deadly serious. Newsom, who is expected to make his own White House run, used a podcast interview to warn that American democracy is supposedly under threat.
“I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election,” Newsom said. “You think for a second he wants? I have two dozen Trump 2028 hats his folks keep sending me.”
When Politico’s Chris Cadelago pressed him, asking if Trump would run again, Newsom responded, “Don’t give me that. Who spends $200 million on a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house? This is serious, guys. This is serious.”
Newsom went further, declaring, “No. No. This guy doesn’t believe in free, fair elections. He tried to wreck this country. Were you there, January 6th?” He accused Trump of trying to “light democracy on fire,” saying, “He dialed for almost 12,000 votes. Now he’s doing it in plain sight.”
He continued, “And people say, ‘Oh, it’s just Trump being Trump.’ You people actually think this guy’s serious about having another election? You think he’s joking about 2028?”
Newsom claimed that Trump shows off 2028 hats to foreign leaders inside the Oval Office and warned, “Wake up. You will lose your country.”
But Trump himself already addressed the issue months ago in an interview with NBC News, making clear he was focused on four years of strong leadership. “I will say this: so many people want me to do it. I have never had requests so strong as that, but it’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do,” Trump explained.
He added, “I don’t know if that’s constitutional, that they’re not allowing you to do or anything else, but there are many people willing to wear the 2028 hats, but this is not something I’m looking to do. I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally, a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward, but I think we’ll have four years, And I think four years is plenty of time to do something really spectacular.”
Despite Trump’s own words, Newsom said he is unconvinced. “I’m not calm, and I’m not going to submit myself to niceties. Not when this guy is trying to wreck our goddamn country,” he told Politico.
The contrast could not be clearer. Trump is setting his sights on delivering results and ensuring a Republican successor continues his policies. Democrats like Newsom, meanwhile, are panicking over slogans and hats while Trump strengthens his grip on the movement that already reshaped America once—and is ready to do it again.
For conservatives, this is another sign that Trump has Democrats exactly where he wants them. His critics can shout about 2028, but Trump’s mission is right now—four years to secure America’s future and pass the torch to another Republican fighter.