California Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a second, more politically-focused debate-style podcast in addition to his “Politickin’ ” show with former NFL superstar Marshawn Lynch and sports agent Doug Hendrickson.
Newsom said he’s modeling the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast on Bill Maher’s shows, and plans on having both prominent Republicans and Democrats on to talk about the future of policy and politics.
“Look, there’s an onslaught of information we take in, so let’s take it to the sources without the typical political mumbo-jumbo,” said Newsom. “In the first few weeks, we’re going to be sitting down with some of the biggest leaders and architects in the MAGA movement.”
While Newsom would not share which leaders he would be having on, he did tell Politico that major conservative headliners have agreed to appear on the show, saying, “Look at the lineup at CPAC.”
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, President Donald Trump notably appeared on most of the nation’s most-listened to podcasts, generating millions of free, long-form impressions for his campaign.
Newsom’s “Politickin’,” and now “This is Gavin Newsom,” could be one way for governor to build a broader national audience and reach out to new audiences. However, some cultural experts have responded with skepticism.
“This will be useful and entertaining for anyone interested in witnessing firsthand a case study on what an organizational psychopath (what Robert Hare — the world’s foremost expert in psychopathy — describes as ‘snakes in suits’) is really like,” said author Rob Henderson, best known for coining the term “luxury beliefs” to describe the adoption harmful but status-boosting ideas.
