California Governor Gavin Newsom has challenged Joe Rogan to invite him onto his podcast after Rogan criticized him.
“Invite me on any time,” Newsom wrote in a post on X.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Rogan outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Rogan, who endorsed President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, has one of the most popular podcasts in the country, which Trump appeared on during his presidential campaign.
He went on to attend Trump’s inauguration and was part of a cohort of male podcasters credited with helping to boost Trump’s popularity, particularly with young male voters. Rogan, though, hasn’t shirked from criticizing both the president and his administration more broadly, over issues including ICE raids and the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Rogan also criticized Newsom over his policies in the pandemic, while Newsom has said previously that he is a fan of Rogan. Rogan’s following could be a group that Newsom would be looking to court if he goes on to run for president in the 2028 election, something that many have speculated he will do.
What To Know
During a recent episode of his podcast with the retired Navy SEAL and author Jack Carr, Rogan criticized Newsom.
“He wants to be president so bad,” Rogan said in the podcast, a clip of which has been shared to X and viewed 5 million times as of reporting. “You can’t ruin a city and then go on to ruin a state and say, ‘guys, that was just practice, once I get in as president, I’m gonna fix it.’”
Carr then describes Newsom as “a great politician,” to which Rogan responds, “No, he’s not.”
In response, Newsom posted on X that Rogan is too chicken to “have me on his show and expose his listeners to the truth.”
Newsom has served as California’s governor since 2019 and previously served eight years as lieutenant governor. He has attracted criticism for his handling of a number of issues including the economy and the California wildfires.
Newsom’s name has routinely been mentioned as a top Democratic White House contender, though he hasn’t ever officially declared his candidacy or his ambitions. In April, a poll showed that a majority of California voters don’t want Newsom to be the Democratic candidate for president. The poll, conducted by Emerson College Polling, Inside California Politics and The Hill, found that 59 percent of respondents said they didn’t think that Newsom should run for president in 2028, with 41 percent supporting a bid for the Oval Office.
What People Are Saying
California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a post on X: “Joe Rogan is too [chicken emoji] to have me on his show and expose his listeners to the truth, so I’ll put it here. California is: – 4th largest economy in the world – #1 in manufacturing – #1 in farming – #1 in new business starts. – #1 for tech and VC investments – #1 for Fortune 500 companies – #1 public higher education I could continue… invite me on any time, @joerogan.”
Joe Rogan, speaking about Newsom on his podcast: “I think he’s terrible…There’s no one who’s good who is competing against him.”
What’s Next
Given the high-profile nature of both men, they may well continue to clash publicly. Rogan regularly makes headlines for his remarks on politics in his podcast, which airs multiple episodes weekly.