By California Governor Gavin Newsom has made it clear he plans to run for president in 2028, calling out Joe Biden’s corruption in pardoning his son, Hunter Biden. The move has highlighted a significant divide between two influential Democratic leaders.
Newsom, speaking to Politico, shared his disappointment, noting that Biden’s decision went against previous assurances. He acknowledged the president’s personal motivations to protect his son but expressed frustration at the reversal.
“With everything the president and his family have been through, I completely understand the instinct to protect Hunter,” Newsom said. “But I took the president at his word. So by definition, I’m disappointed and can’t support the decision.”
Newsom did not elaborate further. Instead of diving into moral or ethical failures — or even its impact on executive power or the future of democracy — the California governor focused exclusively on the president shattering his trust. Biden and his aides had repeatedly asserted that he would not pardon Hunter before the about-face.
With his unequivocal comments Newsom instantly becomes one of the highest-profile members of his party — if not the most prominent voice — to denounce the president’s sweeping action.
Newsom met privately with Biden during a lengthy visit to the White House just two weeks ago, where he appealed to the outgoing administration to approve pending federal disaster relief funding and pushed for programs to expand access to healthcare along with various initiatives aimed at improving clean air.
The pardon by Biden of his son was wide-ranging, going back eleven years to cover crimes Hunter “may” have committed.
Rather than delving into the ethical or legal consequences of the pardon, Newsom focused on a personal sense of betrayal. He emphasized that Biden’s action undermined the trust he had placed in the president’s prior commitments. For months, Biden and his team had signaled that a pardon for Hunter would not be forthcoming, making the recent move even more surprising. The White House has yet to respond to Newsom’s comments.
The criticism is striking, given Newsom’s history of staunch loyalty to Biden. Over the years, the California governor has been one of the president’s most vocal supporters, frequently praising his leadership on issues such as healthcare, climate change, and disaster relief. Just two weeks before the pardon announcement, Newsom met with Biden at the White House to advocate for federal backing on key state initiatives. Biden, in turn, has been a consistent ally to Newsom, notably campaigning for him during California’s 2021 recall election.
Newsom has long been considered a top-tier Democrat for 2028. The Hill recently noted that “long before Biden dropped out of the race, California’s governor was positioning himself as a potential nominee in case the president decided not to run for reelection.
In many ways, he became the bulwark for Democrats against Trump.
“He spoils for a fight, and right now, you have a party that wants a shot in the arm,” a second Democratic strategist said.
Newsom will be able to raise money, he’s known across the country and he leads a populous Democratic state.”
During the Biden administration, Newsom emerged as a prominent critic of former President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the two leaders of the Republican primary, earning praise from Democrats who were eager for a leader willing to take bold swings at the GOP.
The California governor eventually landed a debate against DeSantis after itching for one for months. He ended up losing so severely to the Florida governor that Newsom’s wife had to throw in the towel.
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