California Governor Gavin Newsom appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night to promote his memoir Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, and left the interview having made the case for his own political positioning, been confronted by Maher on several of California’s most persistent problems, and inadvertently validated a central piece of criticism about his approach to opposition politics that Maher pressed with unusual persistence given their well-documented friendship.
The exchange over Newsom’s social media trolling of Trump became the clip that spread most rapidly, with Maher noting directly: “Among all the people who may or may not be running, you are the one who kind of imitates his style with the trolling. You’re suing Fox now, I understand.”
Newsom’s response framed the behaviour as deliberate and strategic rather than imitative: “I’m trying to put a mirror up to Donald Trump. We’re just trying to reflect that reality and express the absurdity of all of this.”
When he disclosed the Fox News lawsuit, Maher’s reaction was immediate and blunt: “OK but that sounds exactly like what he does. Suing media?”
Newsom responded: “Well, don’t defame, don’t lie.” Maher reiterated: “That does sound like him,” a repeated observation that the governor was unable to fully defuse despite multiple attempts, with the exchange becoming a viral demonstration of how difficult it is to use Trump’s own tactics as a strategic mirror without also absorbing the criticism those tactics normally attract.
Maher was not finished. He brought up California’s high-speed rail project and told Newsom plainly: “I say this as a friend. You got to let that train go.” The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 business plan estimates the first phase will not be complete until 2032 at costs now projected to exceed $230 billion. Newsom defended the project and attributed its difficulties to previous administrations, saying: “We got it back on track. It goes back three administrations. I inherited a mess.”
The Trump administration did not take long to respond. Trump posted on Truth Social accusing Maher of appearing “defenseless” and “totally deficient” during the exchange, repeatedly referring to Newsom as “Newscum” and criticising both men’s handling of the conversation. He accused Maher of failing to challenge Newsom on homelessness, infrastructure costs, the California wildfires, and population changes in major cities.
The segment also addressed the assassination attempt at the Correspondents’ Dinner, with Newsom referencing Trump’s behaviour in the days that followed as evidence of a presidency with no interest in unity: “He’s not doing anything to try to unite this country in any way, shape, or form. To me, that’s the biggest reflection of this moment, just the sewer we’re now living in because of Donald Trump.”
Newsom tops recent polling of the 2028 Democratic primary field, suggesting his approach of aggressive social media counter-programming against Trump is resonating with the Democratic base that will determine the party’s next presidential nominee even if figures like Maher who sit outside the committed partisan audience find the style indistinguishable from the behaviour it purports to mirror.
Ewan is a reporter at the Foreign Policy Journal, primarily covering US current affairs and news related to NYSE-listed stocks. He has over two decades of experience in journalism and digital publishing.
