Gavin Newsom winning early enthusiasm from liberal Hollywood donors ahead of 2028: report

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has an advantage with liberal Hollywood in his home state, and a new report shows he could be winning the early battle for the deep pockets of Tinseltown ahead of the 2028 Democratic primary. 

“He’s a fighter, that’s what we need!” a top-tier producer described as a “reliable Dem ATM over the decades” told Deadline. “I just wish more Democrats, like [Chuck] Schumer and the leadership (in Congress), would emulate him, not take any s— from Trump.”

Newsom has won plaudits on the left for his more pugnacious style toward President Donald Trump, trolling him on social media while also embracing new media platforms like podcasts and Substack. 

He also earned some love in progressive Hollywood for his fight for Prop 50, the amendment Californians passed easily last month that gerrymandered districts in favor of Democrats to offset Republican efforts in Texas.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally with Harris County Democrats at the IBEW local 716 union hall on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Houston. (Karen Warren/AP Photo)

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“Donald Trump poked the bear. And the bear roared back,” Newsom said of the win.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t see it in him, and I’ve met him a number of times, but Newsom has really impressed me the way he’s taken Trump on, the jabs,” an agency executive told Deadline.

The two-term governor said in October he would consider running for the presidency after the 2026 midterms.

Newsom’s even been praised by HBO’s Bill Maher, who is never shy about criticizing Democrats he considers too far to the left.

Former Obama U.S. Ambassador to Spain and HBO executive James Costos said Newsom had “strong enthusiasm” from Los Angeles donors.

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“Big checks are being written,” he told Deadline. “It was a slow build early on as we recovered from the loss [last] November, but there has been momentum building, No Kings events, legal wins, the [Jimmy] Kimmel effect, resistance growing and it’s turning into clear ways to fight back against the administration’s overreach and organize to win in 2026 and 2028.”

Another “big donor producer” told Deadline that “anyone who really matters” wants to be sure to be on the Newsom train if and when it takes off.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and President Donald Trump shake hands on Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.  (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Others quoted in the report expressed caveats about Newsom, noting it’s still quite early in the 2028 primary process and some donors may be biding their time waiting for the best candidate. The field is expected to be crowded, with figures like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and even 2024 nominee Kamala Harris possibly throwing their hat in the ring.

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Also, the bruising 2024 defeat suffered by Harris, who was a U.S. senator from California before becoming vice president, could sour Democratic primary voters against risking the nomination to someone from a solidly blue state. No Republican has won California in a White House race since George H. W. Bush in 1988.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.