Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The original season 2 episodes of The Axios Show were lightly edited for brevity, and many viewers asked us to post the full interviews. This is California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s complete conversation with Axios, recorded on March 24.
The full conversation was originally published on Axios.com: axios.com/2026/03/27/axios-show-gavin-newsom-extended-interview
In this interview, Newsom discusses his new book, the “mask” he says he has worn in politics, President Trump, how Democrats should fight back, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Israel, AI and what comes next for the Democratic Party.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:19 - Who is the real Gavin Newsom?
1:23 - The mask and the person underneath
3:37 - Why Newsom wrote the book
4:39 - Family, childhood and dyslexia
6:41 - Avoiding the usual political memoir
7:34 - Why Newsom says this moment is different
8:31 - What Newsom thinks about Trump
9:44 - Trump’s attacks and learning differences
11:36 - Is Newsom copying Trump?
13:46 - Is Newsom “Hillary 2.0”?
14:35 - Playing offense as a Democrat
16:21 - Newsom’s conversations with Barack Obama
17:59 - Trump, redistricting and election fights
18:18 - Talking to Obama about a future campaign
20:13 - Is Biden capable of being president today?
20:45 - Newsom on Kamala Harris
22:37 - Biden, Harris and the 2024 campaign
23:38 - Why Harris didn’t run for governor
25:26 - Israel, apartheid and the Democratic Party
26:57 - Newsom on AI
28:23 - AI doomers and “Pdoom”
30:29 - Newsom’s one-sentence takes on political figures
33:17 - Newsom, Shakespeare and political responsibility
35:17 - Closing
The original season 2 episodes of The Axios Show were lightly edited for brevity, and many viewers asked us to post the full interviews. This is California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s complete conversation with Axios, recorded on March 24.
The full conversation was originally published on Axios.com: axios.com/2026/03/27/axios-show-gavin-newsom-extended-interview
In this interview, Newsom discusses his new book, the “mask” he says he has worn in politics, President Trump, how Democrats should fight back, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Israel, AI and what comes next for the Democratic Party.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:19 - Who is the real Gavin Newsom?
1:23 - The mask and the person underneath
3:37 - Why Newsom wrote the book
4:39 - Family, childhood and dyslexia
6:41 - Avoiding the usual political memoir
7:34 - Why Newsom says this moment is different
8:31 - What Newsom thinks about Trump
9:44 - Trump’s attacks and learning differences
11:36 - Is Newsom copying Trump?
13:46 - Is Newsom “Hillary 2.0”?
14:35 - Playing offense as a Democrat
16:21 - Newsom’s conversations with Barack Obama
17:59 - Trump, redistricting and election fights
18:18 - Talking to Obama about a future campaign
20:13 - Is Biden capable of being president today?
20:45 - Newsom on Kamala Harris
22:37 - Biden, Harris and the 2024 campaign
23:38 - Why Harris didn’t run for governor
25:26 - Israel, apartheid and the Democratic Party
26:57 - Newsom on AI
28:23 - AI doomers and “Pdoom”
30:29 - Newsom’s one-sentence takes on political figures
33:17 - Newsom, Shakespeare and political responsibility
35:17 - Closing
