California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?

Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina. They were selling “Gavin 2028” buttons outside his events this past week as he trekked across the state. His allies openly hinted at his national aspirations. And people close to him privately referred to a 2028 White House bid as “the next thing.” Still, California’s Democratic governor has barely begun to address what may be his biggest political liability as he stakes a claim as an early front-runner in the Democratic Party’s 2028 shadow primary. That liability, South Carolina voters say, is something he cannot change: His home state, California, a symbol of modern-day liberalism that people across the political spectrum love to hate.