In a sharp critique aimed at both a major media network and his own political allies, California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a return to mainstream appeal. The Democratic leader delivered his remarks on Wednesday at The New York Times' prestigious Dealbook Conference in New York City.
A Call for Mainstream Appeal Ahead of 2028
Governor Newsom, a prominent figure within the Democratic Party, spent significant time analysing the party's steep losses in the 2024 elections. He concluded that a strategic shift is urgently needed. Newsom urged his party to temper its approach and significantly broaden its appeal beyond its core constituencies. He argued that to win nationally, Democrats must connect with a wider cultural spectrum.
"We have to be more culturally normal," Newsom stated plainly at the summit. "We have to be a little less judgmental." This message marks a notable moment for a politician who has long championed California's progressive role as a vanguard on issues like immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ protections.
Confronting Fox News and the 'Normalization of Deviancy'
The conversation took a fiery turn when host Andrew Ross Sorkin questioned Newsom about his social media team's recent strategy of mimicking former President Donald Trump's posting style. The Governor defended the tactic, saying it was necessary to "wake everybody up" to what he called the "normalization of deviancy." He pointed directly at Fox News as a primary source of this shift.
In a striking comparison, Newsom likened the channel's primetime lineup to Pravda, the former propaganda outlet of the Soviet Union. "You got Pravda, the primetime lineup at Fox, just going on and on [in defence of Trump]," he said. He expressed dismay at how Trump's behaviour, including using derogatory language, is often dismissed as 'Trump being Trump.'
"Nothing normal about this. He's a man-child. It's unbecoming to the president of the United States," Newsom asserted. He also condemned Trump's use of an AI-generated image showing himself in papal garb and the proposal to add his face to Mount Rushmore, drawing applause from a portion of the audience.
Positioning for the Future and Countering Trump
Governor Newsom currently leads many early polls for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. When Sorkin asked about this front-runner status, Newsom said he was "humbled" but claimed he was not evaluating a bid "to the degree that you think."
His rise in the polls has coincided with a high-stakes political effort. Newsom oversaw a big-money campaign in California to draw new congressional maps that favour Democrats. He framed this move as a direct response to a Republican gerrymander that former President Trump supported in Texas.
Newsom stated the redistricting effort was "about being accountable, not just rhetorically, but substantively, to address what Donald Trump is trying to do to this country." He concluded with a grave warning: "He's trying to wreck this country." This strong stance solidifies his role as a leading voice against Trumpism within the Democratic Party as the long road to 2028 begins.
