How Gavin Newsom’s favorability ratings compare to Donald Trump

Gavin Newsom is slightly more popular than Donald Trump, new polls have shown.

According to two polls, the California governor is more favored than the president by 5 percentage points.

Why It Matters

Newsom’s public profile has increased lately. He has delivered a number of speeches across the country and has been among the leading candidates in most polls for the 2028 presidential race. He has also trolled Trump on social media, which has boosted his profile and caused Trump to retaliate.

While Newsom has not formally announced his candidacy for president, he has not ruled it out and pundits have suggested he has a good shot at leading the Democratic Party into the next election. He will not face Trump given presidents can hold office for only two terms, but if he is considered more popular than the president, it might indicate that the Democrats are gaining popularity over the GOP more broadly. This will be important when voters head to the polls for the midterms in November 2026.

What To Know

According to polling by The Economist/YouGov, Newsom has a net approval rating of -10 percentage points, while Trump’s is -15. The poll of 1,691 adults was conducted between August 29 and September 2 with a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.

A Yahoo/YouGov poll of 1,690 adults found that Newsom has a net approval rating of -9, while Trump’s approval rating is at -14. The poll was conducted between August 29 and September 2 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

What People Are Saying

Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., told Newsweek: “Gavin Newsom has been the first Democrat to really break cover as a credible candidate for the Democrats in 2028. So far, he has done so with a well-resourced media campaign that has irked Trump by using very Trumpish tactics to make fun of the president. For the moment, his strategy is working, not least because the president is not achieving the big-ticket successes, at home or abroad, needed to boost his own polling. Newsom has gone very early in building his candidate profile and has gained interest across the political spectrum. But we’re still a year out from the midterms campaign and still three from the next presidential contest. So, it’s far too early yet to say if the waves he’s making now will be breaking GOP hearts in 2028.”

Gavin Newsom told the Wall Street Journal in June: “I’m not thinking about running, but it’s a path that I could see unfold.”

Donald Trump, on Truth Social on August 20: “Gavin Newscum is way down in the polls. He is viewed as the man who is destroying the once Great State of California. I will save California!!!”

What Happens Next

Newsom’s and Trump’s popularity is likely to fluctuate in the weeks and months to come. If Newsom runs in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, it is likely he will announce his bid after the November 2026 midterm elections.