In an interview discussing his rumored 2028 presidential run, California Gov.Gavin Newsom asserted that the Democratic party is "pretty aligned" with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), especially when it comes to universal healthcare, climate change and moving away from fossil fuel usage.During an interview with PBS NewsHour, Newsom was questioned on what recent democratic socialist victories across the country mean for the Democratic Party."If you have these candidates and this platform that is clearly animating the base, energizing turnout, should more of those ideas be worked into the broader Democratic platform?" Newsom was asked."I think they are," Newsom shot back.
"I mean, we want money out of politics, I’ve been supporting clean money campaigns for decades."NEWSOM TELLS DEMOCRATS TO BE IN THE 'ADDITION NOT SUBTRACTION' BUSINESS WITH SOCIALISTSDemocratic Gov.Gavin Newsom of California speaks during a congressional redistricting event, on Thursday, Aug.
14, 2025, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)The interviewer pressed Newsom further, saying, "There seems to be some distance between [Democratic] leadership and those DSA candidates.""But, not the ideas," Newsom responded."I believe in universal healthcare, and I believe in Medicare for all, the party does overwhelmingly," he said.
"And so, if it’s about more money in your pocket, lowering costs, getting money out of politics, if it’s about Medicare for all, I think we’re pretty aligned."He added, "It’s about recognizing that we’ve got a planet that is getting hotter and drier and that we’ve got to address the issue of climate change, we want energy security and we want to move off fossil fuels, that’s a DSA position, that’s a mainstream position within the Democratic Party."Newsom dismissed worry about democratic socialist influence in American politics, saying, "I think in many ways, it’s just a label … it’s just such a familiar label to me, we call them progress...