California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a podcast titled 'This is Gavin Newsom' in a bid to understand the young male demographic that helped Donald Trump win the 2024 US election. The Democratic governor admitted he was puzzled by the appeal of conservative podcasters such as Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan, who have attracted millions of young men to far-right ideas.
Newsom's first guest was Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, followed by MAGA supporters Steve Bannon and Michael Savage. The move has angered some of his liberal supporters, including Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, who said giving a platform to figures like Kirk spreads 'hateful rhetoric'.
Newsom told The New York Times that the issue of young men and the Democratic Party's struggle to connect with them is 'deeply on my mind'. He hopes to explore uncomfortable topics and perhaps find a space among the 'podcast bros' who have become a powerful force in American politics.
Trump won 56% of men aged 18-29 in the 2024 election, a 15-point increase from 2020, partly due to his son Barron's advice to appear on podcasts like Joe Rogan's. Newsom's own 13-year-old son is a fan of Kirk and begged to stay home from school to meet him, but the governor refused.
