California Governor Gavin Newsom and podcaster Joe Rogan escalated their public feud over the weekend, highlighting tensions between the state’s Democratic leadership and conservative-leaning media personalities.
The confrontation began after Rogan mocked Newsom’s ability to handle interviews, suggesting during a Saturday episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that the governor “would cook himself” if he were on the show.
Newsom responded on social media with a chicken emoji and the words, “Bawk, bawk @joerogan,” continuing a months-long exchange of barbs. Earlier in the week, Newsom’s press office posted a tweet mimicking President Trump’s distinctive all-caps style: “JOE ROGAN IS A SNACK-SIZED PODCASTER WHO CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT ME (OBSESSED! ‘CRUSH?’ NO THANK YOU!) BUT IS TOO SCARED TO HAVE ME ON.” The tweet went on to compare Rogan to “DOZY DON” and concluded with Newsom’s signature initials, “GCN,” in a nod to Trump’s habit of signing off tweets. The post added, “I’LL COME ON AND WILL HELP SAVE THE SHOW AND ITS PLUMMETING RATINGS!”
Newsom later expanded on his grievance during an appearance on the Higher Learning podcast, noting that Rogan “has been attacking me for years and years and years and won’t have me on the show.” Rogan, in turn, has criticized the governor’s record in San Francisco and California as a whole, accusing him of mismanagement and questioning his qualifications for higher office. “He wants to be president so bad,” Rogan said. “You can’t ruin a city, then go on to ruin a state, then say ‘Guys, that was just practice. Once I get in as president, I’m gonna fix it all.’”
Rogan also labeled Newsom a “bulls–t artist,” asserting that the governor’s claims of California achievements do not align with the state’s persistent challenges, including high unemployment, homelessness, and fiscal shortfalls.
He specifically criticized Newsom’s handling of Hollywood and other economic sectors, as well as the state’s COVID vaccine mandates, particularly for children. “You mandated vaccines for kids that didn’t even need them! You did some horrible s–t!” Rogan said, reinforcing his long-standing opposition to California’s pandemic policies.
In Saturday’s episode, Rogan referenced Newsom’s social media posts, including the recent chicken emoji tweet, dismissing them as counterproductive. “You think that’s gonna work? Like, that’s so stupid,” Rogan said. “This is such a bad look… It’s a bad strategy.” While the podcaster suggested he might have entertained having Newsom on the show under different circumstances, he questioned the governor’s approach to engagement: “I probably would have had him on, but now it’s like, what are you doing?”
The ongoing exchange underscores the widening gap between California’s Democratic leadership and conservative commentators, particularly on issues of governance, public health mandates, and economic performance.
As Rogan continues to criticize policies he deems harmful, Newsom’s responses signal a growing willingness to engage in social media theatrics, further fueling the partisan dialogue surrounding the state’s leadership and national ambitions.
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