Gavin Newsom Blames Democrats for Silence on Climate and Predicts Trump's End Plus AOC’s 2028 Bid
He says they don't know how to talk about the weather and that the 2028 race could be decided by one congresswoman.
Democratic politicians often stay quiet about climate change because they simply do not know how to talk about it according to Governor Gavin Newsom. The California governor made these comments on a Wednesday during an interview with The Guardian and the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. He was speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting and New York Climate Week. Newsom believes that the silence stems from a lack of communication strategy rather than a lack of concern.
The conversation took place against a backdrop of extreme weather that has plagued California in recent months. Fire crews conducted a firing operation to control the Sandy fire on 18 May 2026 in Simi Valley. Simultaneously heavy surf generated by offshore Hurricane Marie caused minor coastal flooding along the Long Beach peninsula. These events are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader pattern that Newsom argues must be connected to everyday economic realities. He says that voters are frustrated but they need to see the direct link between planet warming and the price of groceries.
“People say, ‘Why are you talking about climate change? You should be talking about kitchen table [issues]’” Newsom said during the interview. He explained that you cannot separate the droughts from the cost of beef or the cost of coffee. He wants Democrats to connect climate risk with financial risk and with trade policy. He argues that these are the very issues people discuss around their kitchen tables. If politicians ignore the science they ignore the economic impact on the average citizen.
Newsom pointed out that the Biden administration passed strong climate policies like the Inflation Reduction Act but failed to communicate that success to the public. He calls this the “Enlightenment Fallacy” which is the idea that good ideas will sell themselves. He believes that good policy must be connected to people’s lived experience. He used the example of a farmworker in a warehouse to illustrate his point. Rather than just discussing abstract concepts like extreme heat politicians should talk about the human experience of that heat.
Regarding the political outlook for the November midterm elections Newsom predicted that the results would bring “the end of Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it”. He thinks that voters will turn out in such overwhelming numbers that Trump could not possibly contest the outcome. If the former president attempts to invalidate the results or declare a national emergency he said that the courts and Congress must intervene. The governor emphasized the rule of law as the final safeguard in this scenario.
Looking toward the future of the Democratic party Newsom discussed the 2028 presidential race. He believes that the nominee of the Democratic party is going to be the next president of the United States. He said that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “absolutely could be the nominee”. Newsom stated that a woman a Jewish person a young person or someone from California can be elected president. He found the notion that these demographics cannot win as insulting. He described AOC as a “generational talent” and “an outstanding communicator” who is “the real damn deal”.
Newsom clarified his position on potentially running against Vice President Kamala Harris. He said he would not run if Harris ran because of their history and overlapping voting bases. However he said the situation is different with AOC. He fully expects her to run for president and would enthusiastically support her. He thinks she would be one of dozens of Democrats seeking the nomination. He believes that any of them would be better than the current administration.
The governor highlighted the economic advantages of clean energy transitioning. He noted that wind solar and large-scale batteries are abundant and cheap while the war in Iran has pushed the price of gasoline diesel and fertilizer to record highs. He called large-scale batteries a “game changer”. Thanks to these technologies he said California ran on 100 percent clean electricity nine out of every 10 days so far in 2026. For the fourth largest economy in the world he considers this statistic incredible. It proves that planet-warming emissions can be cut without harming economic growth.
There has been criticism from some climate activists regarding Newsom’s management of rooftop solar expansion in California. Bill McKibben and others argued that his administration slowed growth by lowering net metering payments to homeowners. Newsom rejected these criticisms. He argued that the old payments were subsidizing Wall Street hedge funds and boosting electricity costs for Californians who can least afford it. He views the solar industry as a mature industry that needs to stand on its own without subsidies.
Newsom also addressed the financial costs of inaction. He said that declaring a state of emergency in California to protect inhabitants and infrastructure from El Niño impacts costs money. He believes that anyone suggesting doing nothing is the cheaper bet is engaging in nonsense. The cost of inaction includes emergency preparedness expenses. It also includes the economic impacts of not being able to get insurance and not being able to build housing. He cited scientists’ finding that the hotter climate has supercharged El Niño into a super-El Niño.
California is currently suing fossil fuel companies on behalf of future generations. Newsom stated that Republicans have “sold their souls to the fossil fuel industry” which lied about the damage of their products. He said that he loves the kids and grandkids of these industry executives even if they do not love their own children. He believes that the markets are moving in the direction of clean energy. People globally are realizing that clean energy is the better option.
Newsom is not ready to say if he will run in 2028. He will only do so if he feels he has something unique that other candidates do not. He needs to be able to look voters in the eye and authentically explain why he is running for president of the United States. He believes that authenticity passion purpose and meaning are what is needed in politics today. If a candidate does not have all of these things they do not belong on the stage.
First reported by The Guardian.
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