Newsom tells CNN’s Jake Tapper he would not run for president if Kamala Harris does

By Richard Ramos

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he would not seek the White House in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run for president.

Newsom made the comments during an extended interview with Tapper at the Democratic governor’s in-laws’ ranch in Montana, where the two spoke while fly-fishing about Newsom’s personal life, political career and potential presidential ambitions.

“I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” Newsom told Tapper. “I wouldn’t run if she ran.”

Asked why, Newsom said he did not want to create a divisive primary fight with Harris, also a Democrat.

“Why would I?” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do it to me. … I won’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”

Newsom said a 2028 contest between the two would be “mutual assured destruction.”

“Electorally it’s a gift from God for everybody else,” he said. “They’d enjoy the hell out of it.”

Newsom’s comments come as he weighs whether to seek the presidency after his second term as California governor ends. California’s 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, and Newsom is barred by the state’s term limits from seeking another term as governor.

The governor has not announced a presidential campaign.

Newsom says he wasn’t ready to challenge Biden

Newsom also addressed speculation about why he did not challenge then-President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024.

“I wasn’t ready,” Newsom told Tapper.

He said a presidential candidate needs a clear reason for running.

“It’s shocking how many presidential candidates can’t answer their why,” he said.

Family could determine whether he runs

Newsom also said his family would play a central role in any decision to pursue the White House. His wife and school-aged children, he told Tapper, would have to support the decision.

“If they’re not on board, that’s a non-starter,” Newsom said

Newsom said his four children have changed his perspective on what matters most.

“I am not screwing anything up anymore, man,” he said. “I know what matters in life. I got four kids. It’s the only thing that matters to me.”