Newsom Discloses Private Trump Conversations on Jimmy Kimmel Show
California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly revealed details of private phone conversations with former President Donald Trump, including a discussion about the derogatory "Newscum" nickname and claims that Melania Trump was upset with the governor. The revelations came during Newsom's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.
The 'Newscum' Nickname Inquiry
Newsom recounted that Trump called him directly in June 2025, on the eve of deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles, to ask about the "Newscum" nickname. According to Newsom, the call occurred around 10:30 PM his time, with Trump opening the conversation by saying, "Hey, Gav, Gav, what do you think of Newscum?" The former president then inquired, "It's pretty original, right?"
Newsom responded that the nickname was not original, revealing that an eighth-grade bully had used it when he was a child. Trump reportedly replied, "Well, MAGA's pretty good," before asking Newsom to guess how many of his distinctive hats had been sold the previous week, with Newsom recalling the answer was "211 or something."
Approximately twelve hours after this conversation, Trump claimed he had "read the riot act" to Newsom and proceeded with the federalization of the National Guard, Newsom stated during the interview.
Melania Trump's Alleged Displeasure
During the same television appearance, Newsom shared another incident detailed in his book. He described how Trump called him the day after Newsom's inaugural address, during which Newsom picked up his son on stage. Newsom initially thought it would be a positive conversation, thanking the president for watching.
However, Trump allegedly pivoted the discussion, saying, "Melania's upset. You said some pretty harsh things about me." Newsom attempted to explain his speech, but Trump dismissed it with, "Oh, I get it, oh, we're all good." Newsom added that Trump appeared "hurt" and "so sad" during the exchange.
Late-Night Television Reactions
Host Jimmy Kimmel responded to the story with a quip about Melania Trump, joking, "There's no way Melania was upset. She probably wrote that stuff." The show concluded with a comedic segment where Kimmel and Josh Meyers, brother of late-night host Seth Meyers, presented Newsom with a fake award titled The Fifa-Skydance-Paramount-Netflix-Warner Bros-Lipton Big A** Cup o' Peace for "uniting the people of Cali." Newsom humorously replied, "This is long overdue."
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment on these claims, though no response has been publicly disclosed at this time. These revelations highlight the ongoing political tensions and personal dynamics between prominent figures in American politics, as shared in a candid late-night television setting.
