Newsom Elevates National Profile With Brazil Climate Trip, Memoir and Policy Pivots

Overview

• Gavin Newsom says he has not decided on a 2028 presidential run as he steps up campaign-style activity following the passage of Proposition 50.
• After a CNN interview and a Texas rally where some attendees chanted for 2028, he traveled to Belém, Brazil, presenting himself as a U.S. delegate at U.N. climate talks that President Donald Trump boycotted.
• Politico framed his Brazil role as largely performative to showcase California’s emissions record and signal future national climate ambitions.
• Penguin Random House set a February release for his memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” adding to his national visibility.
• He has recently prioritized energy reliability and costs by pushing to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and some gas-fired generators online, shifting to preserve fuel supplies after refinery shutdown plans, and backing a three-phase zero-emission equipment transition at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports that drew criticism from environmental advocates.