Newsom is trying to navigate choppy political waters, according to strategists from both parties. As the governor of California, a deep-blue Democratic state that Trump has gleefully caricatured at every opportunity, Newsom could struggle to appeal to swing voters as a national candidate without moderating his image.

Protests surrounding immigration enforcement actions in the Los Angeles area and the Trump administration's response to them have cued up a public spat between President Donald Trump and Gov.