California governor Gavin Newsom has praised one of the Democrats’ most outspoken critics for visiting President Donald Trump at the White House.
Newsom used an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday to tell the comedian he was absolutely behind his sit-down with the MAGA leader.
The praise, and even the appearance on the veteran late-night-host’s chat show, is likely to inflame Democrats who have been critical of Newsom’s recent public embrace of speaking to Republicans.
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But Newsom instead echoed Rep. John Fetterman’s (D-PA) comments that if the Democratic Party doesn’t “get its s--t together, we’re going to be a permanent minority.” And he basked in the praise as Maher complimented his decision to do launch his new podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, which features interviews with figures from across the political spectrum.
Newsom has come under fire in recent weeks for choosing to interview conservative figures such as MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon on his podcast, which launched earlier this month.
Those critics include journalist Kara Swisher, who described Newsom’s chat with Bannon as “a little too chummy” and criticized what she perceived to be Newsom’s failure to “push back” on Bannon’s lies. Meanwhile, fellow Democratic governor Andy Beshear tweeted that he was “in shock at the stupidity” involved in inviting Bannon on the podcast, adding, “Many of us on the right sacrificed careers to fight Bannon, and Newsom is trying to make a career and a presidential run by building him up. Unforgivable and insane.”
Conservatives aren’t thrilled, either. Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who was censured by the RNC after criticizing Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, said of the decision to interview Bannon, “This is a bad man, and to platform him… this is nuts,” while Megyn Kelly warned that Newsom was using the podcast to prepare for a 2028 shot at the presidency, and conservatives “should not be helping” him train for his potential presidential campaign.
Maher and Newsom both dismissed criticisms that Newsom’s podcast provided a platform for these controversial figures, with Maher arguing that Newsom is an example of someone who wants to “talk and heal” rather than simply “own” the opposition. Maher added, “I feel like the next president, if it comes from this party, [will be] someone who wants to talk and heal. And I feel like you’re doing that.”
Newsom described his podcast as an “opportunity to find common ground,” with Republicans, and expressed frustration with what he views as the Democrats’ tendency to be more judgmental than necessary and engage in “cancel culture.”
“The Democratic brand is toxic right now,” Newsom told Maher. “It’s one thing to make noise, but you also have to make sense.”
Newsom went on to praise Maher for his ability to withstand cancel culture, telling the host that he has “more credibility than any goddamn person I know” in light of the news that Maher is planning to visit Trump at the White House, and the criticism he has faced as a result.
Newsom urged Democrats to learn something from both his and Maher’s willingness to reach across the aisle, adding, “It’s not zero sum—we’re not winning right now… We’re in a panic, I get it, but we need to own our mistakes, we need to own what’s wrong with our party.”
Despite sounding every bit like someone gearing up for a presidential campaign, Newsom declined to confirm any such plans in response to Maher’s questioning, telling the host, “I deeply respect the question, but I don’t have any grand plans with respect to that.”
“I try to do best I can,” Newsom continued. “I also try to be accountable. By the way, you want things to change, you got to change. And that’s what the podcast is about. That’s my recognition of why we’re weak, and I’ve got to call balls and strikes.”
