California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to rebrand himself as some kind of moderate voice of reason, because he wants to run for president in 2028. He’s even launched a new podcast, and invites conservatives on to prove how he’s totally able to coexist with people he disagrees with.
The problem is that it’s so blatantly transparent that even one of his biggest fans is calling him out for it.
Newsom recently made an appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" to hawk his new podcast and push the idea that he’s the savior of the Democratic Party who can lead them out of the wilderness, without actually admitting that he’s running for president in 2028.
“These guys are crushing us,” Newsom told Maher. “The Democratic brand is toxic right now. We had a high water mark two weeks ago, and that was a CNN poll at 29 percent favorability. It's dropped in an NBC poll to 27 percent. It's one thing to make noise, but you also have to make sense. And I think with this podcast and having the opportunity to dialogue with people I disagree with, it's an opportunity to try to find common ground and not take cheap shots.”
Newsom admitted, “Democrats, we tend to be a little more judgmental than we should be.”
This all sounds great to hear coming from a Democrat, but even Maher wasn’t convinced that Newsom has found his inner centrist.
And then there’s his blatant attempt to rewrite history on his radical record. For example, Newsom now claims he’s against males competing in girls’ sports.
“What do you say to people who say, ‘Well, this all sounds very good, but governor, you were the poster boy for all this stuff’? Today, I saw the Trump administration saying California had a rule where schools cannot be required to notify parents if their kids in school have changed their gender or pronouns. That’s the kind of thing—even though it doesn’t affect a lot of people—it makes a lot of people go, ‘Well, you know what? That’s the party without common sense.’”
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Pressed to defend his state’s policies, Newsom pushed back, arguing the rules were about protecting educators as much as students. “I disagree with that. The law was, you would be fired—a teacher would be fired—if they did not report or snitch on a kid talking about their gender identity. I just think that was wrong,” Newsom explained. “Teachers should teach. I don’t think they should be required to turn in kids.”
Maher took issue with the framing, interjecting, “But we’re talking about their parents! How can you snitch? The idea of a snitch and a parent doesn’t comport.”
Newsom doubled down on his position, emphasizing the teacher’s role should center on education, not mandatory reporting. He expanded on his argument, saying, “But what is the job of the teacher? It’s to teach. If Johnny is talking about some identity issue, or some issue about liking someone of the same sex, is it the teacher’s job to somehow report that?” He continued, detailing the nuances of the policy, “By the way, in this law, the teacher can still do that. But they can’t be fired if they don’t. I just think that was fair.”
Gavin Newsom's 180 degree turn on trans competing in sports is truly 'hard to believe':
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) March 29, 2025
Maher: "This all sounds good, but Governor, you were the poster boy for all of this stuff.
California schools cannot be required to notify parents if their kids in school have changed their… pic.twitter.com/wZGrwPD6z8
With less than two years left in his final term, Newsom's desperate attempt to reinvent himself isn't fooling anyone—not even his supporters. While he's busy playing podcast host and preparing for his obvious presidential ambitions, California continues its downward spiral. Businesses are fleeing the state faster than Democrats are fleeing their own brand, debt is piling up, and parents are increasingly fed up with his radical policies.
Good luck with that, Gavin.
