Photo: Alamy | Op-ed by Summer Lane
It’s no secret that California Governor Gavin Newsom likely has presidential aspirations for 2028, but it remains to be seen if he has the charm or wit to pull off such a run in a world where cringe comments or awkward interactions can go viral immediately online.
This week, while speaking about his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, he told a crowd that reportedly included a number of Black Americans, “I’m like you. I’m not better than you, you know. I’m a 960 SAT guy…I cannot read a speech.”
His remarks, delivered as part of a national book tour promoting his memoir, were a little off-putting. In his defense, the governor was discussing, in context, his struggle with dyslexia and how he deals with it in the public sphere as a politician.
It doesn’t negate the fact, however, that Gov. Newsom has a long history of trying much too hard to be relatable to an audience that he truly cannot relate to.
The governor’s memoir, named a “Most Anticipated Book of 2026” by The New York Times, is likely a precursor to a planned presidential campaign – as memoirs often are.
But will this memoir, which is clearly positioned to polish his image as a politician despite running California into the ground with overregulation, taxation, and sanctuary state policies, be enough to boost his chances of winning the Democrat nomination in 2028?
On its face, the answer is no.
Consider another awkward interaction Governor Newsom recently had with R&B superstar Usher just this week. Newsom was accused of acting inauthentically “hood” by critics online who noted the governor’s sudden change in personality when he was hanging out with the high-profile celebrity.
But therein lies the problem – and the serious political threat – of Gov. Newsom. He is a political chameleon, and despite his awkwardness at times or inability to relate to everyday Americans, he is smooth. He doesn’t miss a beat.
His policies are atrocious. California is literally on fire most of the year. Illegal immigrants enjoy safety, security, and free healthcare in the Golden State. And yet he doesn’t project failure – he projects success and confidence, as he tours the country, promoting his supposedly introspective memoir, while he courts centrist and independent voters, pitching himself as a reasonable, middle-of-the-road candidate.
Will spliced soundbites online or awkward “hood” interactions with celebrities be enough to sink his presidential campaign before it even starts? It’s hard to say. Newsom has slowly but surely taken steps to paint himself as a very reasonable leftist, but the wreckage he’s left behind in California should speak for itself.
Perhaps in response to clips of the California governor’s somewhat cringy interactions this week, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Wow! Gavin Newscum just dropped out of the Presidential Race!!!”
The remark reads like a shot across the bow – a jab suggesting that such micro-missteps, however the internet may construe them, will continue to dog Newsom as he pushes to raise his national profile over the next two years. His personality may not be charming enough, and his track record is certainly not impressive enough on its own to carry him through the daily mini scandals of a presidential campaign.
Yet Americans would be remiss not to treat Newsom as a serious contender for the presidency in 2028. Even as Vice President J.D. Vance is projected to be the Republican Party’s likely nominee, Newsom seems like Democrats’ best shot – right now – at challenging the GOP.
Without Charlie Kirk at the helm of Turning Point USA – which powerfully shepherded Gen Z’s political direction in 2024 – the critical young voter demographic (18-29) is left with a looming question mark: which way, Western man? Let’s not forget that in New York City’s recent election, open socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani won 75 percent of Gen Z’s vote, and a whopping 82 percent of young women’s vote.
And right now, young people are aware that America has reached a critical crossroads. According to a new survey from The Economist/YouGov, 63 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 agree that the country is at a “significant turning point.”
Alarmingly, according to their poll, the same demographic disapproves of President Donald Trump’s job performance by 67 percent. If this specific demographic remains disgruntled, it certainly will give a candidate like Gov. Newsom space to court their vote.
It will remain key for the GOP – and Vice President J.D. Vance – to reach out to young voters in this election and speak to the issues that matter deeply to them. Because if they don’t, the Democrats – and someone like Newsom – will do it instead.
