Gavin Gone Wild

Gavin Newsom billed his podcast as home to honest conversations that would bridge the political divide, but his program has instead become a megaphone for right-wing extremists, sparking outrage among Capitol Hill Democrats.

Author

Oliver Darcy
March 12, 2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

When Gavin Newsom announced his new podcast last month, he described it as a forum where he’d talk to people he “deeply disagrees” with. The progressive California governor stressed the importance of engaging in debate without “demeaning or dehumanizing one another,” promising to ask his guests “hard questions” in candid, meaningful conversations. He presented the show as an attempt to bridge divides in a polarized political landscape—at least that’s how he pitched it. There were skeptics who at the outset doubted that this approach would be worthwhile, but Newsom could have worked to prove them wrong.

Instead, just weeks into this program, Newsom has proven his early critics right—and then some. Rather than engaging with honest conservatives, Newsom’s podcast has become a platform that legitimizes right-wing extremists, such as Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Michael Savage. Which is why, I’m told by a senior House Democrat, frustration is bubbling among Democrats on Capitol Hill. According to the senior member, quite a few House Democrats have privately been…

The remainder of this newsletter is for paid subscribers only.

Scoop-driven reporting and sharp-edged analysis. See why thousands of industry professionals rely on Status.

Already a subscriber? Sign in.

A subscription gets you full access to our nightly newsletter, which includes:

✅ Essential reporting on and analysis of the Fourth Estate, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the Information Wars, and more.

✅ Hand-curated links to the most consequential stories moving the needle in the key corridors of the industry.

✅ Unlimited access to our online archive where you can read previous editions of the newsletter.