'I believe he's testing the waters' for 2028: Gavin Newsom gives revealing interview to journalist

[0:00] This has been a very good conversation, and I think I'd like for people to see the realness [0:05] and the thought, and I'm going to hold you to it, because when you run for president. [0:09] I never said I would. [0:09] Okay, okay, I know you never said, Kamala said she might, will you? [0:13] She might, but she does. [0:14] What about you? [0:15] I don't know, but if she does, I'm, you know. [0:18] 50, 50, 70, 30? [0:19] I don't know. [0:21] That was California Governor Gavin Newsom remaining quite coy about his 2028 intentions. [0:27] Long-time White House correspondent, MSNOW contributor April Ryan conducted that [0:32] wide-ranging conversation and joins us now. [0:34] Nicely done, April. [0:36] Thank you. [0:36] What else did you learn yesterday? [0:38] Obviously, the governor didn't want to commit. [0:41] Certainly, there's widely held speculation that he'll run. [0:44] Give us a few other takeaways from your time with him. [0:48] Well, the takeaway is that he said, one of the things he said, it's about fate. [0:53] But to be honest with you, I believe he's testing the waters. [0:56] I believe this governor who is leaving office in the next few months in January of 2027 is [1:05] testing the waters. [1:07] But in the midst of that, as we discussed various issues to include term limits, to include his [1:15] fierce protection of voting rights that has now been completely gutted by the U.S. Supreme [1:20] Court with Louisiana versus Calais. [1:23] He is seriously concerned about that. [1:25] He's also concerned about the economy. [1:28] He is very concerned about the isms, particularly racism, that's happening in this country. [1:35] Gavin Newsom is a man who's convicted right now about fighting against Donald Trump to [1:41] protect the local community, his state, as well as the nation. [1:45] I do believe, to be honest with you, if all things line up, you know, he could possibly run for president. [1:54] He didn't say that in the interview, but he said it's about fate. [1:58] So, you just mentioned eternal limits. [1:59] Here's the exchange that April had with Governor Newsom about aging politicians. [2:04] Is Congress too old? [2:07] Because when you say new strategies, a lot of the people there are still into that old mindset of how it used to work and want to go back to where it was. [2:16] And everything is forever changed. [2:18] I'm the beneficiary and the burden of term limits. [2:22] I think it's a very healthy thing. [2:25] And in the past, I was, you know, a little skeptical about term limits. [2:30] Enough. [2:31] These guys spending enough. [2:33] Same with the Supreme Court. [2:34] Enough. [2:35] I don't know what's the appropriate prism of that is, you know, 12 years, 18 years. [2:39] Is it, you know, for you? [2:41] That's a conversation. [2:42] But it's time down the conversation. [2:44] I also think this, that it's in the spirit of the 60s, the spirit of Bobby County in this case. [2:50] It's also about a state of mind and a quality of imagination. [2:56] I want fresh ideas. [2:57] Right. [2:58] I want fresh language. [3:00] I want to reinvigorate as we reinvigorated in the 30s and created Social Security. [3:04] We reinvigorated in the 60s and created Medicare, created the civil rights, you know, the movement that led us to the Voting Rights Act and other great results that have held this country together, but no longer adequate to the challenges that we confront going forward. [3:20] April, as you interviewed Governor Newsom, and no one is better at journalism, in my opinion, than you, and you couldn't get him to declare, did you get a sense of what would make him lead to his final decisions? [3:37] If, for example, Kamala Harris ran, as many are urging her to do again, or if the slate of candidates becomes apparent, do you think he will make that decision based on who else is in the race, or do you think there's some fire inside of him burning for the things he claims he wants to see done in terms of the discussion about American body politic right now? [4:03] Well, Reverend Al, as you know, as you ran for president, I believe it's his internal compass, if you will, his stamina. [4:11] I mean, first of all, think about this. [4:14] He has been a governor of the state of California. [4:17] We've had a president who came out from being a governor of California. [4:23] And let's talk about Ronald Reagan from another party. [4:25] But he's looking at the change in time that he says that is really something that is bothering him. [4:35] But as you know, I believe if there's no major scandal, if his health is fine, and then once he's finished with January 2027, when he's finished as governor, I believe if you ask me today with a straw hose view from talking to him, I believe he is going to run. [4:53] And I used Reverend Al's interview with Kamala Harris at the NAND convention when Kamala Harris said she might run. [5:02] So you have two people who are on the cusp. [5:05] They're saying might. [5:07] I do believe that Gavin Newsom, I do believe, honestly, I believe 80 percent sure that Gavin Newsom will throw his hat into the ring. [5:16] The way he is so fiercely upset about this nation and the fact after we finished that conversation, he went to see Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader of the House. [5:27] And he also met with the Congressional Black Caucus over voting rights, trying to fix the voting apparatus in this nation for fair and free elections. [5:36] And if Newsom were to jump in, he would be one of the favorites in what would be a very crowded field. [5:42] MSNOW contributor and host of The Contrarian, April Ryan, thank you so much. [5:46] We appreciate it.