This Is Gavin Newsom

Last updated

This Is Gavin Newsom
This is Gavin Newsom, podcast logo.jpg
Presentation
Hosted by Gavin Newsom
Genre Political podcast
LanguageEnglish
Country of originUnited States
Production
Video formatYouTube
Audio format
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcasts
No. of episodes7
Publication
Original releaseMarch 6, 2025
Ratings3/5 (Apple Podcasts)
Provider iHeartMedia
Related
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2025–present
Subscribers178,000 [1]
Views6.6 million [1]
Last updated: September 5, 2025

This Is Gavin Newsom is a political podcast hosted by American politician and businessman Gavin Newsom, the 40th governor of California. The podcast aims to expand his national audience by participating in extended discussions with various political media personalities. [2] Its trailer was released on February 26, 2025. Its first episode later aired on March 6, 2025 with conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk as his first guest. [3] [4] As of April 7, 2025, seven episodes of This Is Gavin Newsom have been released. In June 2025, the show's YouTube channel received a Silver Creator award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers.

Contents

Background

In February 2025, iHeartMedia and Gavin Newsom announced their collaboration on his new podcast, This Is Gavin Newsom. [5] Its trailer was released subsequently thereafter. [6] In the podcast episodes, Newsom discusses political and social issues with his guests. [7] They are structured to be one-on-one conversations. Newsom aims to release a new podcast every week; each episode aims to be around 45 minutes long, but the length can vary. [8] Notable guests such as Charlie Kirk, Tim Walz, and Ezra Klein have also made interviews on his podcast. [9] Newsom chooses his guests to widen his understanding of Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 United States presidential election, reflecting his interest of the Republican Party's prior branding for Trump's presidential campaign. [10] He converses with them to explore differing viewpoints across the political spectrum. [11] Newsweek said that "Newsom defended his podcast as a chance to have the conversations the Democratic Party refuses to have…" [12]

Although most episodes feature conservatives, some contain liberal voices. Newsom believes his podcast gave him the opportunity to interview with people he disagrees with. [13] He has touted his podcast as a form of understanding the motivations of the MAGA movement; also referencing how the Democratic Party can proceed after the loss of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. [8] Newsom discusses the effects of political divides in his podcast by conversing with these people. [14] Newsom’s podcast is arranged with iHeartMedia, an American mass media corporation; he does not receive any compensation from it. [15]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal release date
0"Introducing: This Is Gavin Newsom"March 6, 2025 (2025-03-06)
Newsom announced the release of his podcast, teasing the conversations he would participate in.
1"And, This Is Charlie Kirk"March 6, 2025 (2025-03-06)
Newsom spoke with Charlie Kirk. Newsom discussed with Kirk the success of Turning Point USA, and the Harris-Walz campaign in 2024; Kirk challenged him on his liberal stances, which gained extensive media coverage.
2"And, This Is Michael Savage"March 10, 2025 (2025-03-10)
Newsom spoke with Michael Savage, a conversative political commentator. They engaged in a discussion surrounding his political ideology.
3"And, This Is a Menendez Brothers Update"March 11, 2025 (2025-03-11)
Newsom gave an update about Lyle and Erik Menendez (commonly referred to as the "Menendez Brothers"), who both killed their parents.
4"And, This Is Steve Bannon"March 12, 2025 (2025-03-12)
Newsom spoke with Steve Bannon, a former political chief strategist for Donald Trump. They spoke about political policy, such as tariffs and tax cuts.
5"And, This Is Governor Walz"March 18, 2025 (2025-03-18)
Newsom spoke with Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota. They discussed about the Democratic Party's reputation, loss of men, and its brand of populism.
6"And, This Is Ezra Klein"March 26, 2025 (2025-03-26)
Newsom spoke with Ezra Klein, a podcaster and writer at The New York Times . They discussed the importance of Klein's recently authored book titled Abundance .
7"And, This Is How Trump's Tariffs Cost You Money with Anthony Scaramucci"April 4, 2025 (2025-04-04)
Newsom spoke with Anthony Scaramucci, an American financier, to discuss the possible effects of Trump's tariffs in the second term of his presidency. They also discuss about the failures and successes of the Harris-Walz campaign, as stated by Newsom.

Reception

Vulture describes Newsom's podcast "as the governor's more direct effort at political outreach across the aisle." [16] It has received exposure due to its exploration of differing political viewpoints. [17] The New Yorker suggests that he needs his podcast to distance himself from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. [18] California Senator Ben Allen valued Newsom's goal of emphasizing these viewpoints by noting the importance of open dialogue. [19] Kentucky governor Andy Beshear publicly supported Newsom's podcast, but criticized his choice to interview Steve Bannon as his guest. [20] The left wing blog Daily Kos said that his status as a Democrat could be a significant influence in the realm of podcasting, which is dominated by right-wing voices. [21]

Newsom garnered publicity for his rhetoric on the first episode ("And, This is Charlie Kirk"); he shared his opposition to the term Latinx, [22] [23] suggested his opposition to gender transition surgeries for inmates [24] and said that it was "deeply unfair" for transgender women to participate in women's sports. Newsom originally said to Kirk about this issue: "I think it's an issue of fairness; I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness, it's deeply unfair." [25] MSNBC said that "the governor's comments [were] a departure from his relatively progressive record on LGBTQ rights," [26] due to his influence on LGBTQ rights in the United States. [27]

Newsom was criticized by some Democrats for his willingness to converse with conservatives; he said that his podcast explores how the Republican Party's messaging in the 2024 election win voters. [28] Some people believe his podcast plays him more politically moderate, with ongoing speculation he is preparing himself as a potential Democratic candidate for president in the 2028 election, in which Newsom will possibly run for president after leaving office as California governor at the end of his term in January 2027. [29] [30] [31] [32] As of April 2, 2025, This Is Gavin Newsom is ranked as the 40th most popular podcast on Spotify and ranked as 53rd on iHeart's "Podcasts Top 100 list. [33] [34]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "About This Is Gavin Newsom". YouTube.
  2. ↑ Luna, Taryn (February 26, 2025). "Newsom launches another podcast, teases conversations with MAGA leaders". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  3. ↑ Fung, Katherine (March 6, 2025). "Gavin Newsom podcast: Key takeaways from governor's debut with Charlie Kirk". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  4. ↑ Herchenroeder, Katie (March 8, 2025). "California Governor Gavin Newsom Says Transgender Athletes Playing In Women's Sports Is "Deeply Unfair"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  5. ↑ "iHeartPodcasts and California Governor Gavin Newsom Announce a New Solo Podcast, This Is Gavin Newsom". www.iheartmedia.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  6. ↑ "This Is Gavin Newsom". iHeart. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ "This Is Gavin Newsom". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Macht, Daniel (February 27, 2025). "California Gov. Newsom launches another podcast, plans to speak with 'MAGA movement' leaders". KCRA. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  9. ↑ Rusell, Lia (March 31, 2025). "Gavin Newsom calls Democratic brand 'toxic' on Bill Maher show". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Amid 2028 speculation, California governor's podcasts with Trump loyalists anger Democrats". AP News. March 17, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  11. ↑ King, Ryan (March 18, 2025). "Gavin Newsom splits with Tim Walz on MAGA, denies it's just 'racism and misogyny' -- while praising Bannon" . Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  12. ↑ Aitken, Peter (March 29, 2025). "Gavin Newsom sparks backlash after calling Democrats "toxic"". Newsweek. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  13. ↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  14. ↑ Glebova, Diana (March 29, 2025). "Gavin Newsom calls out 'toxic,' 'judgmental' Democrats" . Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Hoeven, Emily (March 22, 2025). "Here's how Gavin Newsom's podcast arrangement works. The details raise questions". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ Quah, Nicholas (March 11, 2025). "Not Another Puff Podcast". Vulture. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  17. ↑ Schorr, Isaac (March 10, 2025). "Bernie Sanders' trans rally — not Gavin Newsom's flip — shows where Democrats truly stand" . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  18. ↑ Kang, Jay Caspian (March 21, 2025). "What Gavin Newsom's Embarrassing Podcast Suggests About the Democratic Party". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  19. ↑ Koseff, Alexei (March 20, 2025). "Gavin Newsom's podcast pivot leaves listeners confused and sets Democrats on edge". CalMatters. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  20. ↑ Goldmacher, Shane (March 14, 2025). "Andy Beshear Slams Gavin Newsom for Having Steve Bannon on Podcast". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  21. ↑ Samuels, Alex (February 27, 2025). "'We need to change the conversation': Gavin Newsom starts new podcast". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on March 20, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  22. ↑ Ehisen, Rich (March 14, 2025). "CA 120: Gavin's podcast - Presidential run or empire building?". Capitol Weekly. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  23. ↑ Grimes, Katy (March 31, 2025). "Gavin Newsom Talks and People Everywhere Cringe". California Globe . Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  24. ↑ Kaczynski, Andrew; Steck, Em (March 20, 2025). "Gavin Newsom spent years fighting for progressive positions he now bashes on his new podcast". CNN. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Gavin Newsom calls trans sports participation 'deeply unfair,' breaking with Democrats". www.nbcnews.com. March 6, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  26. ↑ Lim, Clarissa-Jan (March 7, 2025). "Gavin Newsom echoes GOP talking point on trans athletes". MSNBC. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  27. ↑ Hayes, Christal (March 7, 2025). "California's Gavin Newsom says trans athletes in female sports 'deeply unfair'". BBC. Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  28. ↑ Burch, Sean (March 31, 2025). "Gavin Newsom Pushes Back on Podcast Criticism, Explains Why He's Not Trying to 'Own the Conservatives'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  29. ↑ Luna, Taryn (March 29, 2025). "Newsom calls the Democratic brand 'toxic' as he defends his podcast". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  30. ↑ Epstein, Reid J.; Rosenhall, Laurel (March 6, 2025). "Newsom Splits With Democrats on Transgender Athletes: 'It's Deeply Unfair'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  31. ↑ McHardy, Martha (March 7, 2025). "Gavin Newsom's podcast remarks spark backlash from Democrats". Newsweek. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  32. ↑ Palmer, Ewan (March 17, 2025). "Gavin Newsom podcast backfires". Newsweek. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  33. ↑ Spotify. "Podcast Charts". Podcast Charts. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Podcasts Top 100 - March 25, 2025". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
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