Will 2028 be the Gavin Newsom-Hunter Biden show?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed Monday that the federal government is investigating him and his wife over their family’s finances.

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He alleged the Justice Department’s move comes at President Donald Trump’s direction, because Newsom is “considering running for president.”

“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family, friends and former employees,” Newsom said in his video statement, published to social media.

“Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one.”

Newsom told Trump not to involve his family, saying, “You can subpoena my records, you can investigate me, you can harass me, put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta.”

CNN reported the investigation isn’t directly into Newsom, but does include his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The investigation also includes the governor’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who was indicted in November 2025 on federal charges over her alleged attempts to steal campaign funds from the campaign of former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Williamson pleaded guilty to three out of two dozen charges.

Newsom’s latest statement isn’t the first time he has publicly tangled with Trump and it won’t be the last. It’s worth noting that his fiery statement also clearly laid out his political ambitions for higher office.

Gavin Newsom’s VP contender?

Last week, Hunter Biden, during a podcast appearance, said he would consider running as Newsom’s vice president in the 2028 election cycle.

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“Here’s the deal. I’ll run, but only as your VP because the truth of the matter is that the vice president’s residence is a lot cooler. It’s a lot easier job, too,” Biden told Newsom jokingly.

Later, in a post on X, Biden wrote, “No Democrat has won the White House this century without a Biden on the ticket,” before clarifying it was a joke.

During the interview, on “This Is Gavin Newsom,” Biden addressed receiving a presidential pardon from his father, former President Joe Biden, who ultimately “chose me over his legacy,” he said.

Hunter Biden also acknowledged his candid posts on X, where he has answered questions about his addiction and rehabilitation, and also revealed he is in the midst of releasing two books he wrote, chapter by chapter on Substack. They chronicle the time he spent in the White House while his father served as the vice president and president.

“They gave me a stage and I’m going to use it,” Biden said in conversation with Newsom about his plans to stay active in the public arena.

As The New York Times reported, Newsom showed his ability to speak to a polarizing figure while building momentum for his presidential run by creating a digital footprint that doesn’t rely on traditional media.

Whether the younger Biden was, in fact, joking about wanting to run for vice president, CNN’s panelist Bakari Sellers suggested that progressive Democrats want a “boisterousness” on the Democratic ticket to go against Trump and that perhaps Newsom and Biden’s “weird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” could be it.

If Biden decides to run, his ticket would hold some baggage because of his history of crack-cocaine addiction, his federal felony conviction, the presidential pardon he received from his dad, and the relentless public scrutiny over his family life and business.

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