He's just planning for a post-governor career.
After this year, many democrats are as well - which is why Harris had such a hard time finding a VP and took Walz who was like the last kid you pick on your dodgeball team.
The presidential race in 2028 for the Democrats is going to have one of the deepest benches for talent I've seen in a long time. Newsom and Shapiro will be at the top of the list for sure.
But I agree, Newsom has been making some decisions lately that seem to indicate he's trying to clean up his image and look more "moderate" for the coming election cycles.
Neither has genuine appeal. Shapiro is a really, really poor speaker and has few credentials except as a moderate. Newsom is the definition of coastal elite. Both have spoken, neither have been heard.
https://www.kqed.org/news/12006711/newsom-signs-bill-to-help...