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This is Gavin Newsom

This is Gavin Newsom

iHeartPodcasts
Society & Culture

I’m Gavin Newsom.

And, it’s time to have a conversation. It’s time to have honest discussions with people that agree AND disagree with us.

It's time to answer the hard questions and be open to criticism, and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one other.

I will be doing just that on my new podcast – inviting people on who I deeply disagree with to talk about the most pressing issues of the day and inviting listeners from around the country to join the conversation.

THIS is Gavin Newsom.

87 - And, This Is Bestselling Author Michael Lewis On Elon Musk, DOGE and His Newest Book “Blockers”
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  • 87 - And, This Is Bestselling Author Michael Lewis On Elon Musk, DOGE and His Newest Book “Blockers”

    Bestselling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, The Blind Side) joins the show to talk about his new book, Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State, and what he found reporting on the Trump administration's war against federal civil servants.

    Lewis often writes about overlooked people inside massive, misunderstood systems, from Wall Street to baseball to government scientists.  In his newest work, he explains how Elon Musk's DOGE actually operated inside agencies like the IRS and NIH, why career civil servants became targets, and what happens when the trust in our government finally collapses.

    Lewis's new book Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State is out now.

    00:00 Opening
    00:25 Talking To Bannon, Kirk And Understanding Your Enemies
    7:24 Which Of Michael Lewis’s Subjects Was Most Pissed At Him
    10:35 How Michael Lewis Decides On His Subjects 
    18:07 Who Can Tell The Story of Trump’s Second Term  
    24:42 The Big Question Lewis Asked Himself Before Writing Blockers
    30:03 Elon Musk, DOGE &  The Origin Of The Term “Blockers” 
    36:23 What The Hell is The US Institute of Peace?
    43:22 Government Is Moneyball All Over The Place
    47:45 How Trump Tries To Weaponize Data Against Undocumented Workers
    54:33 Better Information Leads To Societal Progress 
    1:00:06 The Immigrant Who Changed How We Fight Fires vs. The Trump Chaos Machine
    1:17:46 Trump vs. The NIH: Who Killed The Scientist Curing Our Diseases? 
    1:25:09 How People Really Deal With RFK Jr. 
    1:29:31 The Backdoor That DOGE Used to Fire Millions
    1:34: 36 Trump is A Trust Destroying Machine & Where Trump Goes Next
    1:38:16 How Permanent Is Trump’s Harm To Government? 
    1:45:58 How Reagan Ruined America’s Covid Response & Helped Trump Weaponize Grievance 
    1:51:15 A Sign Of Hope From A Former DOGE Employee 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Wed, 07 Oct 2026
  • 86 - And, This Is How We Rectify Our Racial Legacy With Bryan Stevenson

    Governor Newsom begins by sharing how his visit with Bryan Stevenson, civil rights attorney, & founder of the Equal Justice Initiative inspired recent legislation.

    Live from the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama, Stevenson joins the podcast to discuss the politics of fear and anger and why America never reckoned with the narrative that justified slavery. 

    He shares how the Supreme Court might decide Brown v. Board of Education today, what the gutting of the Voting Rights Act means for Black political power, and why DEI efforts fell apart.

    They then cover reparations, censorship,  mass incarceration and America’s legacy when it comes to the death penalty before finally ending with  a message of hope for anyone exhausted by this political moment.

    00:00 A Conversation That Inspired A Bill Signing
    1:10 The Politics Of Fear And Anger
    4:03 Slavery's Real Evil Was the Narrative
    6:26 How Narratives Change
    8:20 Struggling With American Identity
    13:20 Why Build a National Memory & Legacy Museum
    17:35 Why The Shelby County Decision Changed Everything
    25:28 Why We've Gone Backwards
    31:08 How DEI Caused Resentment
    37:10 What Reparations Really Means
    46:30 Why Am I Responsible For Previous Generations’ Suffering?
    51:01 Rewriting History & The Montgomery Bus Boycott
    59:23 Could Brown v. Board Be Won Today?
    1:04:45 Rev. James Lawson: Do Hard Things
    1:12:17 Counter Narratives & Censorship
    1:17:54 Mass Incarceration and the Death Penalty
    1:35:30 Should California Commute Its Death Row?
    1:39:50 What Do You Say to Victims' Families?
    1:45:38 Is There Any Reason For Hope?

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Thu, 01 Oct 2026
  • 85 - And, This Is Newsmax’s Chris Ruddy on The FCC & The Future of Conservative Media

    Newsmax founder and CEO Chris Ruddy joins the show to discuss how he built a conservative media empire, including the story of how he first met Donald Trump.  He then gets into his relationship with the Clintons, California political history, education reform, and conservative talk radio's influence on the country.

     

    00:00 Intro

    00:45 The Legacy of California Governors 

    4:44 Reagan, Republicans & Immigration

    7:00 The Crazy Way Ruddy Met Trump

    10:30 Liberal Origins Before Building A Conservative Media Empire 

    18:04 How To Improve Public Education

    26:30 Conservative Radio’s Influence On This President

    30:18 The Evolution of Ruddy & The Clintons

    33:47 Media Consolidation & The Fight Against Brendan Carr & The FCC 

    45:00 Tech Mergers, Paramount & The Hollywood System

    48:35 Newsmax vs. Fox News 

    51:10 The 2020 Election

    54:40 Political Polarization & The 2024 Election

    59:22 How Democrats React If They Win Back The House 

    1:04:57 The Future of Cable & Artificial Intelligence

    1:10:02 Should Democrats Appear On Conservative Media



    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Thu, 24 Sep 2026
  • 84 - And, This Is An Urgent Message on Artificial Intelligence

    A few months ago, we sat down with two of the leading voices warning about the risks of runaway AI Tristan Harris & Aza Raskin.

    We're re-airing that conversation now because we are at a critical moment in how we deal with AI. 

    Researchers are quitting. CEOs are begging to be regulated. Yet there's still no comprehensive federal law requiring AI companies to report dangerous incidents when they happen. 

    So we're taking action.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Fri, 18 Sep 2026
  • 83 - And, This is A Fight To Protect Our Rights With Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed

    We're live on the road in Montgomery, Alabama! 

    Governor Newsom is joined by Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed for a conversation on the economy, protecting our civil rights, and Alabama’s living history. Plus, BBQ vs. Tacos and how to find hope even as our democracy remains under attack.

    00:00 Why Montgomery Matters

    4:37  Protecting Our Democracy & Rebuilding Our Economy 

    13:41 How To Find Courage Amongst The Sellouts

    21:23 Montgomery’s Living History As A Lesson For The Country

    24:45 Writing A Memoir And The Search for Authenticity 

    29:35 How To Survive Difficult Moments 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Sun, 06 Sep 2026
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