California Governor Gavin Newsom has disclosed details of a private phone call with President Donald Trump, during which the president asked for his opinion on the nickname 'Newscum'. The revelation came during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night.
Newsom recounted that Trump called him on the eve of sending the National Guard into Los Angeles in June 2025. 'It was about 10.30 my time, 1.30 his time,' Newsom said. 'And he goes: "Hey, Gav, Gav, what do you think of Newscum?"' The governor said he replied that the nickname was not original, having been used by a bully in his childhood.
According to Newsom, Trump then boasted about the popularity of his MAGA hats and asked the governor to guess how many had been sold that week. 'About 12 hours later, he said that he had read me the riot act and moved forward with the federalization of the guard,' Newsom added.
The governor also shared another anecdote from his new book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, in which Trump called to complain about comments Newsom made during his inaugural address. Trump allegedly said Melania was upset by the remarks, though Newsom claimed the president dismissed his attempts to explain.
A White House spokesperson responded, stating: 'President Trump took bold action to save Los Angeles from violent rioters when local leaders like Bass and Newscum refused to act. Newscum should be thanking President Trump for saving the city from burning down.'
