Gavin Newsom Talks to the Right
Gavin Newsom, the California governor and 2028 contender for the Democratic nomination for president drew the ire of his Democratic and Never-Trumper peers this week for hosting far-right bomb-thrower and Trump 2016 campaign chair Steve Bannon on his new podcast.
Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Bashear said Bannon “espouses hatred and anger, and even at some points violence, and I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.” Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger called it, “Stupid.”
What many are criticizing Newsom in particular for (including CNN commentator Dana Bash) was his response after Bannon said the 2020 election was stolen, after which Bannon said the Trump movement then reverted to a “grassroots, precinct-strategy” in order to win the 2024 election. Newsom decided to only address the latter part of Bannon’s statement, saying, “I appreciate the notion of agency; that we’re not bystanders in the world. It’s decisions, not conditions, that determine our fate and future.”
Right or wrong, the exchange was a mere blip in a conversation that saw these strange bedfellows finding common ground: They both oppose tax cuts for corporations and the rich and are unnerved by the rise of oligarchs in the U.S. Perhaps most important, in engaging Bannon in good faith, Newsom is giving Democrats an opportunity to grapple with and understand today’s right-wing mindset, while at the same time exposing Bannon fans to a Democratic leader who, far from scolding them, is willing to take them seriously. It’s a refreshing turn of events after an election cycle that saw Democrats at turns condescending of, dismissive of, or perhaps just plain scared of engaging outside of the left-wing ecosystem.
See the full Bannon interview here. Other highlights of Newsom’s nascent podcast: His interview with right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, in which the California governor said it was “unfair” to let transwomen athletes compete in women’s sports.