Eye-popping number of Democrats back probe of Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer ahead of 2028 presidential race

By BREANNE DEPPISCH, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 14:55, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 15:16, 6 July 2026 It's only the summer of 2026, but Gavin Newsom is among a band of Democrats thinking about 2028. Newsom, the second term California governor who has emerged as one of President Donald Trump's most outspoken political foes, has acknowledged he's considering a presidential run. He told CBS News last year he'd be 'lying' if he suggested otherwise.  Most recently, however, Newsom made headlines after he shared the news that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, are being investigated by the Justice Department.  The investigation appears to have stemmed from whistleblower complaints about possible tax issues tied to Newsom's wife's nonprofits, though the status of the probe or any next steps have yet to be shared publicly. Newsom blasted the investigation as a politically motivated 'witch hunt' designed to thwart his bid for the presidency before it can officially begin. Still, an eye-popping number of Democrats appear to at least somewhat support the investigation, according to a new Daily Mail poll. More than one-fourth of Democrat voters, or 27 percent, said they either 'strongly support' or 'somewhat support' the Justice Department probe into Newsom and his wife, according to a Daily Mail/JL Partners survey.  Among those voters, 13 percent expressed strong support; 14 percent backed it with the slightly less effusive 'somewhat' support level. A larger 39 percent of Democrat voters said they either 'strongly oppose' or 'somewhat oppose' the investigation, while 32 percent of voters said they 'neither support nor oppose' the investigation, or were otherwise unsure. California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends the FIFA World Cup match between the US and Paraguay in Los Angeles, California US Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, speaks with California Governor Gavin Newsom in Chicago, Illinois  Your browser does not support iframes. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged as one of Trump's most outspoken political foes, and the two have most recently been at odds over reports of a new DOJ investigation into Newsom and his wife  Jennifer Siebel Newsom attends the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York California Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom are seen in Chicago, Illinois A giant portrait of President Donald Trump looks down from the Justice Department in Washington, DC Among independent US voters, a much stronger 43 percent said they either strongly or somewhat supported the investigation.  Predictably, Republicans had the highest support for the probe of Newsom and his wife, with a whopping 70 percent of Republican voters expressing some level of support for the Justice Department investigation, out of the 1,059 registered national voters who responded to the poll. Details of the investigation remain murky for now, and neither the Justice Department nor Newsom's office have responded to inquiries for comment on the matter. Newsom, for his part, has denounced the investigation as an effort to dampen his presidential aspirations, arguing he is just latest on a long list of political foes Trump has sought to prosecute in his second term as president.  'Donald Trump isn't just coming after me because of my mean tweets,' Newsom said in a video shared to social media last month. 'He's coming after me because I am considering running for president.' Your browser does not support iframes. Former Vice President and then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is seen with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in Milwaukee during the 2024 presidential race  American flags are planted in the ground in front of a banner of President Donald Trump and the US Department of Labor building, ahead of July 4th festivities California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen at the 33rd Annual White House Correspondents' Garden Brunch with his wife, Jennifer  Though the 2028 election is still a ways away, Democrats have long been mulling over who might be their most competitive contender.  Among likely candidates for the 2028 ticket, 29 percent of registered Democrat voters in the US said they would vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Among the 1,040 registered voters who took part in the Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, Harris held a fourteen-point lead over Newsom, who came in second with 15 percent support.  Democrats ranked former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg third in the same survey, with 11 percent of support from likely voters. More broadly, US voters appear to be open to electing a Democrat for higher office: If the midterm elections were held tomorrow, the Daily Mail/JL Partners survey found, a Democratic candidate would hold an 8 point lead among likely voters.