Gavin Newsom is talking—just maybe not to the people you’d expect.
The California governor’s new podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, launched in March with a surprising roster of early guests: Charlie Kirk, Michael Savage, and Steve Bannon. All three are prominent conservative figures known for controversial views—and all three were interviewed with little pushback, drawing sharp criticism from left-leaning media and longtime Newsom supporters.
The move signals a calculated shift for Newsom, a longtime progressive and LGBTQ+ ally, who even agreed with Kirk that transgender women in women’s sports is “unfair.” Despite the backlash, Newsom’s political stock appears unaffected. As of April, he remains the betting favorite to win the 2028 Democratic nomination, according to the prediction market Kalshi.
Now, with his first eight episodes already in the books and growing national attention, one question looms: Who will join him next?
(Yes, you can bet on that, too.)
Who is Gavin Newsom?
Newsom has had a long career in politics dating all the way back to the 1990s. He served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011, Lieutenant Governor of California from 2011 to 2019, and Governor of California from 2019 to the present.
He is a member of the Democratic Party and has long been expected to run for the Presidential race. Many believed he would run in 2024, but he refused to run against Biden and Harris when she stepped in.
According to a recent study from the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of adults approved of Newsom’s job performance. However, he has received backlash many times in his political career – the biggest one was in 2021.
More than 1.6 million Californians signed a petition for a recall election. There were many factors that led to this, but the largest one was the COVID shutdown measures. Some believed his lockdown wasn’t severe enough, and others believed it was too harsh.
But the worst part was that Californians found out he went to a birthday party with attendees from multiple households. This hypocrisy led to the recall. However, the recall wasn’t successful, with only 38% of the votes supporting Newsom being recalled.
This was also largely why Newsom didn’t run in 2024. He referred to himself as “vulnerable” and said that the recall was “sobering.”
What is ‘This is Gavin Newsom’?
This is Gavin Newsom was announced in February 2025, and the first episode was released on March 6. This is his second podcast with iHeartMedia but his first solo podcast.
As of March 27, Newsom has had five guests (in this order): Charlie Kirk, Michael Savage, Steve Bannon, Tim Walz, and Ezra Klein. His first three guests were prominent conservative figures, and the last two were Democratic/liberal figures.
Left-leaning media criticized his conversations with Kirk, Savage, and Bannon for softball questions and unchallenged misinformation. Moreover, while Newsom has previously been seen as an LGBTQ+ advocate, Newsom agreed with Kirk that transgender women competing in female sports is “unfair.”
These controversial stances and podcast choices have not seemed to significantly damage his political prospects for bettors so far. On Kalshi, the Democratic nominee 2028 market has Newsom as the top choice at 18%.
Who will go on 'This Is Gavin Newsom'?
With everyone watching what Newsom says next, many are wondering who he will have next on the podcast. Which conservative and liberal figures will he have on the podcast?
Kamala Harris
Current Odds: 44%
Harris was the Vice President under President Joe Biden and ran for President in the 2024 election. After losing to Donald Trump in November and leaving office in January, Harris has largely stayed under the radar.
Newsom and Harris have worked together for many years since they are both from California. Prior to being Vice President, Harris was the District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011, the Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017, and California’s United States Senator from 2017 to 2021.
Harris is currently the most likely person on the market to be a guest on the podcast. Her potential appearance is unsurprising, given her prominent role in the Biden administration and the low likelihood of President Biden himself joining as a guest.
Marc Andreessen
Current Odds: 31%
According to Forbes, Marc Andreessen is worth $1.9 billion. The billionaire has been a long-time supporter for Democrats – voting on everyone from Al Gore to Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, in 2024, Andreessen announced he would donate to a Trump Super-PAC.
He spoke out against Biden and believed he would raise taxes for billionaires and increase restrictions on cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence. But Andreessen is not known for this reason.
He is best known for being the co-author of Mosaic (one of the first web browsers), Netscape (an internet/technology company), and his Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz. The firm currently manages $42 billion in assets.
In November 2024, Andreessen was a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast. Given Andreessen’s influence and political flip-flop, he would be an interesting guest for Newsom to have.
Barack Obama
Current Odds: 25%
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States. Before serving as President, Obama was a Member of the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004 and Illinois’s United States Senator from 2005 to 2008.
Obama is the last Democratic president to successfully run and win two consecutive presidential elections. Moreover, he is largely respected by most Democrats and even some Republicans.
With Obama’s sway and even his insights, a conversation and an association with him can give Newsom some well-needed clout.
Elon Musk
Current Odds: 20%
If Newsom can’t speak to Trump on his podcast, he might as well speak to his current right-hand, Elon Musk. The richest man on the planet and head of companies like Tesla and SpaceX has had quite the rollercoaster start to his first year.
Trump created an entire department for Musk – Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – and named him as the leader of the organization. However, this is unclear because the director of the Office of Administration at the White House, Joshua Fisher, claimed Musk “has no actual or formal authority.”
Regardless of his official title, Musk has made sweeping federal cuts, sparking strong backlash over mass layoffs. Given Musk’s political and cultural relevance, he would be a great guest for Newsom.
The better question would be whether Musk would be willing to appear on the podcast.
Tucker Carlson
Current Odds: 16%
If Newsom wants to speak to the right-leaning audience, there is no larger person than Tucker Carlson. The New Yorker said in a 2023 piece, “For the past six years or so, Carlson was the most influential voice in right-wing media, without a close second.”
Carlson led the massively popular Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight. The nightly show was the highest-rated cable news program multiple times in its final years.
After being fired from Fox News, Tucker Carlson now has his own podcast – The Tucker Carlson Show. On both of these projects, he has been a strong proponent of Trump and far-right beliefs.
A conversation with Carlson would be risky for Newsom. The potential backlash from his previous interviews with Bannon and Kirk would pale in comparison to the controversy a Carlson appearance might generate. Moreover, Carlson, who hosts his own podcast, may be reluctant to lend his audience to Newsom’s platform.
The intention is clear – Newsom wants to expand his national audience to include right-leaning voters – however, in doing so, he may be alienating the base he already has.
