Newsom says he never has, 'never will' take money from AIPAC

The California governor, expected to run for president in 2028, is one of the most high-profile Democrats to swear off the pro-Israel lobbying group.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has stated that he has never taken money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and will never do so in the future. Newsom, who is widely believed to be running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, is one of the most high-profile Democrats to swear off the pro-Israel lobbying group, as support for Israel has become a mounting liability for national politicians.

Why it matters

Newsom's stance on AIPAC support is seen as a strategic move to appeal to a voter base that is increasingly critical of Israel. Polling shows that support for Israel has plummeted to the single digits among Democrats, and an internal investigation by the Democratic National Committee found that Kamala Harris lost votes in the 2024 election due to her stance on Israel's war in Gaza. Newsom's decision to distance himself from AIPAC signals the growing toxicity of the pro-Israel group in electoral politics.

The details

Newsom, who has been the governor of California since 2019, has a history of supporting Israel, including being the first sitting mayor of San Francisco to visit the country in 2008. However, he has also been critical of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying there was a 'dehumanization' in the way Netanyahu talked about Palestinian people. Newsom has also signed legislation aimed at preventing antisemitic incidents on college campuses and limiting the dissemination of threatening speech.

  • In October 2025, Newsom initially stumbled over a question about whether he would accept AIPAC support.
  • On February 25, 2026, Newsom clearly stated that he 'never have and never will' take money from AIPAC.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The governor of California since 2019, who is widely believed to be running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Benjamin Netanyahu

The former Prime Minister of Israel, whom Newsom has criticized for the 'dehumanization' in the way he talked about Palestinian people.

Kamala Harris

The former Vice President of the United States, who lost votes in the 2024 election due to her stance on Israel's war in Gaza.

Ro Khanna

A Democratic Congressman from California who has criticized Newsom's views on Israel-Palestine.

Cory Archibald

The co-founder of the Twitter account Track AIPAC, which works to counter the pro-Israel lobby.

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What they’re saying

“Never have and never will”

— Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (YouTube)

“He doesn't want to offend the AIPAC donors. He doesn't want to offend the donor class. And that explains his position on going to give Netanyahu a blank check right after Oct. 7, on not being willing to ever call out the funding we were giving, and not willing to call out that clearly it was a genocide, and then not willing to challenge the billionaire class on tax policy.”

— Ro Khanna, Democratic Congressman from California (Unspecified)

“I would also like us to take a collective moment to appreciate what a feat it is that Gavin Newsom feels he has to come out, in February 2026, to state that he rejects AIPAC. We will make AIPAC money the defining issue of the 2028 race. Watch.”

— Cory Archibald, Co-founder of Track AIPAC (Twitter)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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