Former President Bill Clinton is dropping hints that California Gov. Gavin Newsom could be the next president of the United States, according to Politico.
An unnamed Democratic source told Politico’s Jonathan Martin that the 42nd president has told people how impressed he is with Newsom’s talent. Clinton said he thought that Newsom has what it takes to become president, Politico reports.
The former president interviewed Newsom during a fall meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Clinton isn’t the only person who thinks the governor has a good shot at winning the Oval Office.
“Big time,” said Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco and former speaker of the California State Assembly. “He’s the movie star.”
Although the 2028 presidential primary is years away, recent polls show Newsom as the current frontrunner.
A Nov. 17 poll by Echelon Insights found Newsom with 29% support in a hypothetical primary. Behind Newsom is former Vice President Kamala Harris with 17% support, followed by former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 12% support.
Out of the 1,051 likely voters sampled for the survey, 484 were asked which candidate they would vote for in a 2028 Democratic primary. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.7%.
Throughout the year, Newsom has fashioned himself as a foil to Trump — criticizing the president’s attempts to deploy the National Guard in California and his involvement in mid-decade Congressional redistricting.
In an attempt to mock Trump online, Newsom and his press office have copied the president’s social media habits.
That includes writing posts on the social media site X in all capital letters or giving demeaning nicknames to Republican officials and Trump White House aides.
During an October interview with CBS News, Newsom said he will consider a presidential run after the 2026 midterm election.
“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom said when asked if he’d given serious thoughts about running. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”
