Longtime Democratic megadonor-turned-independent John Morgan is sounding the alarm for his former party, warning that California Governor Gavin Newsoms hard-left record and embrace of progressive woke politics could doom any future presidential bid unless he makes a serious move toward the political center.
According to RedState, Morgan, best known in California for his ubiquitous Morgan & Morgan law firm advertisements, used a recent appearance on NewsNations Cuomo to deliver a blunt assessment of Newsoms national prospects. He cautioned that an endorsement from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be the kiss of death for Newsoms presidential ambitions, underscoring how toxic the San Francisco brand of progressive politics has become outside deep-blue enclaves.
On the program, Morgan did not mince words about where he believes Newsom stands ideologically and how that will play with voters beyond Californias liberal base. He told host Chris Cuomo and viewers that Newsom is far far left and far far woke, insisting the governor would have to reposition himself toward the middle if he hopes to be viable in the 2028 presidential race.
Here's what I think about Newsom. ... He's perfect for the look, Morgan said, acknowledging the governors telegenic appeal while questioning his political instincts. What I worry for him, and I've told this to the Speaker [Pelosi] ... he [Newsom] decided to be the Democratic version of Donald Trump. You wanna be mean? I'll be mean. You wanna be nasty? I'll be nasty.
Morgan argued that this combative, performative style may thrill the progressive base but will ultimately alienate a country exhausted by constant political warfare. I told her, and I believe this, I think that's a bad strategy. I think that by the time we get into 2028, America is going to be sick of meanness, and chaos, and that type of banter, he explained, adding a warning about the long road ahead: It's a long race, he's got to be careful not to sprint too fast.
The megadonor also highlighted what he sees as Newsoms biggest vulnerability: his own record in California, which he believes the governor will be forced to disavow. His second problem, Chris, is going to be this: Undoing everything he was for in California. Remember 350-thousand dollars in reparations for each African American? He's going to have to run from his woke. ... His problem is, his record is far far left and far far woke.
Morgans critique aligns with what conservatives have long argued about Newsoms tenure: that his policies have produced social decay and economic pain rather than progress. California has seen a dramatic rise in homelessness despite the state spending billions of dollars to address the crisis, and major cities have become synonymous with sprawling encampments, open-air drug use, and public disorder that drive families and businesses away.
Even former President Barack Obama has felt compelled to distance himself from the permissive approach to street encampments that flourished under progressive leadership in California. We should recognize that the average person doesn't want to have to navigate around a tent city in the middle of downtown [LA] That's a losing political strategy, Obama said, a striking rebuke that undercuts the narrative that Newsoms policies represent the future of the Democratic Party.
Newsoms record on crime and public safety is another likely flashpoint in any national campaign, particularly in a general election. His support for radical, soft-on-crime district attorneys coincided with surging theft, brazen smash-and-grab robberies, and a broader sense of lawlessness that has plagued Californias major metropolitan areas and alarmed suburban voters.
On the economic front, Californians have endured soaring housing prices, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and some of the highest electricity and gas costs in the nation under Newsoms watch. Add to that the states widely criticized response to disasters such as the Los Angeles wildfires, and the governor faces a long list of failures that Republicansand even primary rivalswould be eager to highlight.
Morgan also pointed to the electoral map as a structural obstacle for a candidate so closely associated with Californias progressive experiment. Many of the residents who fled Newsoms policies have resettled in key swing states like Arizona and Nevada, where memories of Californias dysfunction are still fresh and resentment toward Sacramentos agenda runs deep.
It is difficult to imagine those former Californians, who uprooted their lives to escape high taxes, crime, and regulatory overreach, turning around and voting to bring the architect of those policies into the White House. Meanwhile, Democrats in battleground states such as Pennsylvania may gravitate toward more moderate figures like Governor Josh Shapiro, leaving Newsom squeezed between an activist left and a skeptical general electorate.
If a longtime Democratic megadonor who has now distanced himself from the party is already pouring cold water on Newsoms 2028 prospects, it signals deeper trouble for a governor once touted as a future standard-bearer of the progressive movement. With Democrats expected to field a crowded slate of contenders vying to become the 48th President of the United States, Newsom will have to answer not only for his rhetoric and woke posturing, but for a California record that many votersespecially those who fled itview as a warning, not a model.
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