- Gavin Newsom has about two years to go before his term as California’s governor ends.
- Newsom has been keeping busy with a podcast featuring guests like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon.
- Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris hit the podcast circuit during their campaigns in 2024.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California is facing off against his right-wing opponents on their favorite medium — a podcast.
Newsom started his podcast “This is Gavin Newsom” in February. He’s also the co-host of another podcast, “Politickin,” which is focused more on sports and culture.
“I’m talking directly with people I disagree with, people I look up to, and you — the listeners. Egg prices? Tariffs? DOGE? We’re tackling all your big questions,” Newsom wrote in a February 26 Facebook post announcing his podcast.
Thus far, Newsom has been able to deliver on his promise. In his debut episode, Newsom spoke to Charlie Kirk, a right-wing influencer and founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA.
In his latest episode, which aired Wednesday, Newsom went head-to-head with right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon. Bannon was President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist and executive chairman of Breitbart News, a far-right news outlet.
Common ground
People who tune in expecting nothing more than a high-octane war of words may be surprised. It seems that Newsom has found some common ground with Kirk and Bannon on at least two divisive issues.
For one, Newsom told Kirk that he found it “deeply unfair” that transgender athletes could participate in female sporting events.
“Would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female sports?” Kirk asked Newsom.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It is deeply unfair,” Newsom replied.
While Newsom did go on to explain how he had a “hard time” reconciling the vulnerability of transgender athletes with ensuring fairness in sporting events, his reply to Kirk was surprising, considering his political record on LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2004, when Newsom was San Francisco’s mayor, he took a stand in support of the LGBTQ+ community and allowed same-sex marriages to proceed in the city in defiance of federal regulations.
Then, in his interview with Bannon, Newsom said they both had a common dislike of Elon Musk. Bannon has been a vocal critic of Musk, calling him a “truly evil person” and criticizing Musk’s views on immigration.
“We may share some commonality in terms of concern about what he’s doing,” Newsom told Bannon.
“Hang on, hang on. You guys loved all the oligarchs, in particular Elon, until they flipped,” Bannon said. “And remember, all the rest of these oligarchs were all progressive Democrats.”
“I refer to them as libertarian and I know these guys intimately, known them for decades,” Newsom replied.
To be sure, this isn’t the first time Newsom has sought to engage his political opponents directly in tough conversations.
In December 2023, Newsom participated in a televised debate with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. At the time, both Newsom and DeSantis were seen as rising stars and potential presidential candidates.
Newsom 2028
It is unclear if Newsom’s foray into podcasting is part of a plan to lay the groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid.
To be sure, podcasting is a powerful campaign tool. Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris both hit the podcast circuit during their 2024 campaigns.
Newsom, who still has about two years to go before the end of his gubernatorial term, is often asked about his presidential ambitions.
In September 2023, Newsom was asked in an interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Cecilia Vega if he would run for president after finishing his term as California’s governor.
“Is that a yes or a no?” Vega asked Newsom.
“That was a — that was a never-ending response to your question,” Newsom said.
A representative for Newsom did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
