President Donald Trump said he is "amazed" that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a run for the White House, arguing that the Democrat governor's record has left the state poorly managed and vulnerable to criticism on a national stage.
"I'm amazed Gavin wants to run for office," Trump told The California Post in a Friday Oval Office interview conducted shortly after his administration had filed a lawsuit against California over its sanctuary policies, accused the state of fraud, and moved to claw back federal funding.
Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom's leadership, calling the governor "incompetent" and saying California is suffering under his administration.
"People love the dream of California, but they hate what's happening to them," Trump said, adding that the state needs "proper leadership" and is not getting it from its current governor.
Newsom has emerged as a leading figure among Democrats as the party looks ahead to the 2028 presidential race.
According to RealClearPolitics polling averages, Newsom leads the Democratic Party field with 24% support, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris at 21%, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 11%, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at 8%.
Trump predicted that Newsom's tenure as governor would weigh heavily on any presidential campaign, singling out California's high-speed rail project, which was originally designed to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"He has the train, the train to nowhere, that was supposed to be a simple train that went from San Francisco to Los Angeles," Trump told The California Post. "It's the greatest cost runover that I've ever seen."
The project, now estimated to cost $135 billion, is the most expensive rail project in U.S. history.
Construction was initially slated for completion in 2020 but has been repeatedly delayed. Current projections target completion around 2030 for a limited Central Valley segment between Bakersfield and Merced, far short of the state's largest population centers.
Funding for the project has also been unstable, with billions of dollars in federal support pulled, restored, and withdrawn again over multiple administrations, leaving California taxpayers responsible for keeping the project afloat.
Earlier this month, Newsom defended the rail effort during his State of the State address, saying the project was "back on track."
"Speaking of tracks, we're finally laying them," Newsom said, citing more than 60 miles of completed guideway in the Central Valley, land acquisition, and environmental clearance along much of the route.
Trump dismissed those claims, saying the project should have been completed long ago.
"I could have built that thing, and I could have built that thing in one year," he said.
Trump also described his relationship with Newsom as deteriorating sharply since his first term in office.
"I used to get along with him, but now it's sort of a hopeless situation," Trump said.
"They've gone radical left. They're crazy."
Newsom, who has increasingly adopted a confrontational national profile, was in Davos, Switzerland, this week attending the World Economic Forum at the same time as Trump as speculation continues to build over a potential 2028 presidential bid.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.