California Governor Gavin Newsom has hit back at Joe Rogan after the podcaster called him a "cardboard cutout of a person." In a post on X, Newsom mocked Rogan as a "little guy" and challenged him to a debate, writing: "JOE 'LITTLE GUY' ROGAN IS TOO CHICKEN TO HAVE ME ON HIS FAILING PODCAST BECAUSE HE KNOW I'D CRUSH HIM."
Rogan made the comment during a Thursday episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, which has 14.5 million followers on Spotify and 20.9 million YouTube subscribers. He described Newsom as a "stone cold, narrative-driven politician" and said no one believes he is a "real person."
The feud dates back to Rogan's move from California to Texas in 2020, which he attributed to strict Covid-19 regulations under Newsom's leadership. Rogan has previously criticised Newsom's combative tweeting style, calling it "stupid" and a "bad look."
Newsom has repeatedly challenged Rogan to appear on his show. In October, after Rogan said he might have hosted Newsom if not for his social media attitude, the governor replied with a chicken emoji and the words "Bawk, bawk."
The closest the two have come to a public discussion was in 2025, when Newsom appeared on the Shawn Ryan Show and answered questions prepared by Rogan about California's Covid-19 policies.
