California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) cast himself as a political “disrupter” in an interview published this week, as the Democratic state leader publicly weighs a presidential bid in 2028.

In a series of interviews with Vanity Fair published Wednesday, Newsom discussed the recent surge of support for democratic socialist candidates this midterm cycle and pushed back against the idea that he was a part of the Democratic Party’s establishment. “I’m not,” he told Vanity Fair’s Joe Hagan. “I mean, I’ve been at this awhile. To the extent I’m established, in that context — but I’m notoriously a disrupter at heart. I’ve never been for the status quo, and I tend to take risks to a degree that few elected officials do.”

Several Democratic lawmakers running this election cycle have similarly sought to position themselves as political outsiders amid Democratic voters’ embrace of a wave of new candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Newsom criticized the DSA as trading in “slogans” in an interview with Vanity Fair. “So much of what DSA is promoting, I’m like, ‘Been there, done that,’” he said, referencing legislation he signed into law limiting annual rent increases and placing new restrictions on evictions in California.

The governor said he is also “the biggest climate champion that you know,” but he added, “I’m not antibusiness.”

Additionally, Hagan pressed Newsom about his recent comment to CNN that he would not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris enters the race, arguing they would be competing for the same supporter base. “You can’t hold off on making a decision, waiting, waiting, waiting,” he told Hagan. “But I don’t think that will — I’m not concerned about that, candidly.”

The governor also addressed rising concerns among the American public with advanced artificial technology development — a major industry in his state.

If elected president, Newsom said he would lead “an international movement focusing on the issue of truth and safety and trust.”He expressed concern that some leaders in the industry have been changed by access to power, saying he’s “lost relationships with these guys.”Newsom did not specify which tech executives he was referencing. “What the hell happened to these people? I have animus now that I never had,” Newsom told Vanity Fair. “I think power corrupts — how they’ve been able to corrupt and manipulate the political system,” he continued. “I don’t care if they voted for [President] Trump. They were always libertarian. But it’s the nature of just too much abundance, too much wealth, too much isolation, too much indulgence, and too much power. Because the money buys you power.”

The governor also touted draft pages of a “Project 2029” policy framework for Democrats — an apparent reference to MAGA’s “Project 2025” proposal for the second Trump administration. Newsom said he has about “eight pages of commonsense good policy ideas” included in the draft framework. “This is just policy, not narrative, the kinds of things we need to do: zoning reform, corporate tax, junk-fee stuff, new domestic strategies and tariffs, preschool things, a cap on childcare, family leave, paid sick leave, child tax credits, industrial decarbonization, anti-monopoly stuff, immigration, whistleblower protections,” Newsom said.

Newsom expressed optimism about his ability to hold his own in what could be a competitive Democratic presidential primary. “I don’t have a problem fighting. Nor do I have a problem getting roughed up and getting back up,” he told Vanity Fair. “I’ve been road tested. It’s not small ball out here in California.”