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California Gov. Gavin Newsom sat down with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on his podcast This Is Gavin Newsom on January 15, 2026, a surprising turn for a Democrat who usually appears on friendly late-night circuits. The conversation was long, wide-ranging and immediately chewed over across the political spectrum as pundits tried to parse whether Newsom was courting conservatives or simply chasing headlines.
Former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway wasted no time on Jesse Watters Primetime pointing out the obvious political theater: if Newsom wanted to face Shapiro, he’d have gone to Shapiro’s show instead of inviting him in for a controlled sit-down. Conway’s critique landed: she argued Newsom staged the encounter to look brave while avoiding the real risk of being challenged on his record.
This episode is the latest twist in a podcast run that has featured figures like Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon and other firebrand guests, a lineup that has infuriated many in his own party. Newsom’s gambit has drawn sharp rebukes from progressives who see him legitimizing extremists, and wary praise from strategists who think he’s trying to broaden his appeal ahead of future ambitions.
The content of these episodes has also surprised the left; in earlier installments Newsom described allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports as “deeply unfair,” a position that ripped open fissures with LGBTQ+ advocates and energized critics on both sides. That kind of rhetorical flip-flop makes clear this is less about principle and more about poll-tested messaging.
Newsom launched This Is Gavin Newsom in March 2025 with Charlie Kirk as a high-profile first guest, and the project has been less a genuine dialogue than a carefully staged attempt to rewrite his national image. The podcast’s meteoric climb on the charts shows the appetite for spectacle, but it also underlines the political calculation behind each guest choice.
Watching Newsom try to trade jabs with Shapiro felt like watching political theater where the script always bends toward political survival rather than conviction. He wants the spotlight and the plausible deniability that comes with claiming to “listen” to the other side, but voters know when a politician’s positions change with the microphones.
It’s worth celebrating when conservative commentators and former administration figures call out opportunism, because accountability should cut across party lines. Whether you cheer or jeer, this episode exposed Newsom’s willingness to play both sides for power, and that’s a performance Americans should watch closely.
In the end, Kellyanne Conway’s critique was less about theatrics and more about character: politicians who pivot to chase headlines rarely inspire trust. If Newsom is truly serious about bridging divides he should start by explaining the substance of his shifts, not staging podcast cameos to rehabilitate a national brand.
