Newsom Criticizes Democrats' Climate Silence, Predicts Trump Exit

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that Democrats avoid discussing climate change because "they don't know how to talk about it," and he predicted the November midterms will bring "the end of Donald Trump's presidency as we know it," according to an interview with the Guardian and the journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.

Newsom made the remarks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting and New York Climate Week, the Guardian reported.

What did Newsom say about Democrats and climate messaging?

Newsom told the Guardian it is a mistake for Democratic politicians to stay quiet on climate change, calling the pattern since President Trump returned to office in 2025 a form of "climate hushing." He said Democrats need to be "laser-focused" on affordability concerns but argued the party should link those pocketbook worries directly to climate-driven disruptions rather than avoid the topic altogether.

"I talk about it all the time," Newsom said of climate change, according to the Guardian.

The governor's prescription, per the interview, is for Democrats to "connect the dots" between climate shocks and kitchen-table economic issues voters already care about, rather than treating the two as separate conversations.

What did Newsom predict about the midterms and Trump?

Newsom told the Guardian the November midterm elections would mark "the end of Donald Trump's presidency as we know it." He said voters need to turn out in high enough numbers that Trump "couldn't possibly contest" the results.

"The end of Donald Trump's presidency as we know it." — Gavin Newsom, California governor, in an interview with the Guardian, Sept. 23, 2026

Newsom also addressed what should happen if Trump disputes the outcome anyway. If the president declares a national emergency or otherwise tries to invalidate midterm results, Newsom said "we the people have to step up. The courts have to intervene. Congress has to do its job and stand up for the rule of law," the Guardian reported.

Will Newsom run for president in 2028?

Newsom did not rule out a 2028 presidential run if Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides to enter the race, according to the Guardian. That statement follows a CNN interview last week in which Newsom said he would not run if Vice President Kamala Harris does, the Guardian noted. The governor's comments to the Guardian leave open the possibility of a campaign contingent on other Democrats' decisions, rather than a firm declaration either way.

What do polls say about public support for climate action?

The interview referenced polling from Covering Climate Now and the Guardian on global and domestic appetite for climate policy.

By the numbers:

• Between 80% and 89% of the world's people want their governments to take stronger climate action, according to the Covering Climate Now and Guardian reporting cited in the interview.
• 74% of Americans want stronger government action on climate change, per the same reporting.

Newsom cited those figures in arguing that Democratic reluctance to discuss climate change runs counter to where public opinion already sits, both globally and domestically.

What should voters watch for next?

The Guardian interview points to several developments worth tracking as the midterm campaign continues:

• Whether other Democratic officials adjust their public messaging on climate change ahead of November, following Newsom's public criticism of the party's approach.
• Whether AOC makes any formal moves toward a 2028 presidential bid, which Newsom's comments suggest could shape his own decision.
• How Trump and his campaign respond to Newsom's midterm predictions, including any statements about contesting results.
• Any post-election legal or congressional action if disputes over the midterm outcome materialize, per the scenario Newsom outlined to the Guardian.

Newsom's remarks came amid a broader push by Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration, to track how elected officials across parties discuss climate change during a UN General Assembly session focused partly on the issue. The governor's comments represent his own characterization of internal Democratic Party dynamics and his predictions about the midterms remain his stated expectation, not a confirmed electoral outcome.

Read the full interview at the Guardian.