President Donald Trump reacts at the end of the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., February 24, 2026. REUTERS KEVIN LAMARQUE
President Donald Trump appears to once again be using the government to go after a top Democratic presidential contender, but according to a new piece from The Hill, he might have actually given one of his biggest enemies a massive "political gift."
Earlier this week, Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, revealed that the Trump Justice Department had launched an investigation into him and his wife, claiming that it was an attempt to fabricate a case against him because of his plans to consider a run for president in 2028. Reports from MS NOW later backed this up, with sources claiming that prosecutors in California had been pressured to "come up with a case" against the governor.
This development would appear to mirror efforts to similarly target top Democratic presidential hopefuls that Trump undertook in his first term. Trump infamously attempted to extort the Ukrainian government for dirt on Joe Biden and his family in 2019, which ultimately led to his first impeachment the following year.
That effort did little to stop Biden from winning the 2020 election, and now, according to a new piece from The Hill's Amie Parnes, Trump might also now be creating a "political opening" for Newsom. The governor has been viewed by many as one of, if not the top, Democratic 2028 contender, given his outspoken criticism and trolling of Trump during his second term.
"An investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) could have put California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on defense. Instead, it is giving Newsom, seen as a leading Democratic White House contender in 2028, a new political opening," Parnes wrote. "Newsom is embracing the DOJ investigation, using the confrontation with President Trump to raise his national profile and cement his role as one of the president’s lead rivals ahead of a probable White House bid."
“By targeting Newsom, Trump just elevates his standing among Democrats, and, ironically, being singled out by the president makes Newsom appear more presidential-level himself,” California-based Democratic consultant Garry South, who previously advised Newsom, told Parnes. “And Newsom will play it to the hilt. He understands when he’s been given a gift.”
Another Democratic strategist, Rodell Mollineau, told Parnes that the investigation has elevated Newsom as a 2028 hopeful, given that it signals Trump and Vice President JD Vance's concern about his ability to defeat them.
"It demonstrates that Trump and Vice President Vance are concerned about his ability to take them on in 2028," the strategist said.
Another strategist, speaking anonymously, summed up why Newsom has been getting to Trump enough to prompt such a move as this.
“He’s become the one to beat,” they said. “And it’s for one reason only: He’s getting in Trump’s face constantly.”
