Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
California Governor Gavin Newsom joins Axios National Political Correspondent Alex Thompson on The Axios Show to discuss the "ruthless" future of American politics, his personal relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris, and why he refuses to be an AI "doomer."
In this wide-ranging interview, Newsom reflects on his new book "Young Men in a Hurry," the "mask" he wore early in his career, and his candid assessments of tech giants like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Teaser: "I'm not a doomer."
00:22 - Is Gavin Newsom "Hillary 2.0"?
02:07 - California’s lead on AI regulation and safety
03:42 - The P(doom) debate: Why Newsom isn't an AI doomer
04:52 - 1-sentence summaries: Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, and Elon Musk
05:43 - Why Elon Musk is "one of the great disappointments"
07:37 - The truth about the Newsom-Kamala Harris relationship
11:03 - Advice from Barack Obama and fighting "fire with fire"
13:03 - Recent conversations with Joe Biden
15:10 - Responding to David Axelrod's "self-puffery" critique
16:45 - Trump’s comments on learning disabilities and dyslexia
18:16 - "Young Men in a Hurry": The mask and the man underneath
23:52 - Shakespeare, Fallstaff, and the "superpower" of empathy
California Governor Gavin Newsom joins Axios National Political Correspondent Alex Thompson on The Axios Show to discuss the "ruthless" future of American politics, his personal relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris, and why he refuses to be an AI "doomer."
In this wide-ranging interview, Newsom reflects on his new book "Young Men in a Hurry," the "mask" he wore early in his career, and his candid assessments of tech giants like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Teaser: "I'm not a doomer."
00:22 - Is Gavin Newsom "Hillary 2.0"?
02:07 - California’s lead on AI regulation and safety
03:42 - The P(doom) debate: Why Newsom isn't an AI doomer
04:52 - 1-sentence summaries: Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, and Elon Musk
05:43 - Why Elon Musk is "one of the great disappointments"
07:37 - The truth about the Newsom-Kamala Harris relationship
11:03 - Advice from Barack Obama and fighting "fire with fire"
13:03 - Recent conversations with Joe Biden
15:10 - Responding to David Axelrod's "self-puffery" critique
16:45 - Trump’s comments on learning disabilities and dyslexia
18:16 - "Young Men in a Hurry": The mask and the man underneath
23:52 - Shakespeare, Fallstaff, and the "superpower" of empathy
