All The Smoke: Gavin Newsom Wants ALL THE SMOKE With Donald Trump, MAGA Knee Pads & $400 Million Dollar Bribes

Podcast: All The Smoke
Hosts: Matt Barnes (“Jack”), Stephen Jackson, Nicole Moss
Guest: Gavin Newsom, Governor of California
Date: October 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In a candid, wide-ranging episode, Governor Gavin Newsom joins Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All The Smoke to confront America's political and cultural crossroads head-on. The discussion spans gritty reflections on community activism, the demise and spirit of Oakland, the assault on American rights under a second Trump administration, social media's role in politics, the business of youth sports, the urgent stakes of the 2025 and 2028 elections, and a call for unity against what Newsom frames as existential threats to democracy.
Throughout, the tone is combative but hopeful, unfiltered, and laden with both policy insight and personal stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Oakland’s Legacy and the Loss of Community [03:56 – 20:18]

• The “Steven Jackson Day” Proclamation:
  Newsom and Jackson reminisce about the grassroots impact of Jackson’s community work in Bayview, SF, and the honor of having a day named after him:

  "He was a community leader back then. Not just a leader on the floor."
  —Gavin Newsom [04:20]

• Rebuilding Trust in Communities:
  “March Gladness” tournaments in SF aimed to bring together the police, city officials, and Black communities to build trust.

• Oakland’s Decline:
  Newsom laments the loss of all three pro sports teams from Oakland, noting the devastating effect on community cohesion and livelihoods:

  “No city’s been devastated like Oakland…It was a city that punched above its weight.”
  —Gavin Newsom [16:05]

• The Economic and Social Impact:
  Guests discuss the loss of jobs tied to the sports teams, and the contrast between the old-days, community-anchored Oracle Arena and today’s more corporate, less connected sports world.

“It became a business…You used to be able to smell weed in Oracle. There used to be a cloud above the court.”
—Jack [18:23]

2. America at a Crossroads: Voting Rights, Trump, and “Rule of Dawn” [07:29 – 10:09, 44:19 – 54:56]

• Voting Rights and Supreme Court Threats:
  Newsom expresses alarm at efforts to reverse civil rights progress and undermine the Voting Rights Act.

  “All this anti-woke stuff is just anti-Black, period, full stop. It’s this Great Purge and it's happening in real time.”
  —Gavin Newsom [07:57]

• GOP Tactics:
  Calls out gerrymandering and ‘rigging’ elections as a sign that “they know they’re losing.”

• Foundational Threats:
  Newsom claims Trump is breaking down rule of law and the very branches of government:

  “You can lose this country, no bullshit. It’s not the rule of law anymore. It’s the rule of Dawn.”
  —Gavin Newsom [51:02]

• Messaging Weakness:
  Newsom critiques the Democratic Party’s lack of strength and clarity:

  “Trump is weakness masquerading as strength. Democrats—weakness. And that fundamentally has to be addressed.” [47:18]

  Quoting Bill Clinton:

  “‘Given the choice, the American people will always support strong and wrong versus weak and right.’” [48:39]

3. Policing, Crime, and Immediate Community Action [10:09 – 14:05]

• Responding to Oakland Crime:
  Newsom tells a story of a bishop asking for “Smith and Wesson” while community calls for more police, showing the urgent need for real-time solutions along with long-term reforms.

  “That was a moment of clarity for me…The community was like, don’t give me your ten-point plan. We need it now.” [11:15]

• Action over Idealism:
  Newsom claims tangible intervention worked, bringing homicide rates to record lows in several CA cities.

4. Personal Origins: Sports, Struggle & Family [22:22 – 32:18]

• Struggles Growing Up:
  Newsom describes growing up with a single, hustling mother, his own severe dyslexia, and how sports provided an identity and lifeline:

  “Politics, from this one guy, Willie Brown… and because of sports, which just gave me a sense of confidence I didn’t have in anything else.” [30:26]

• Player Comparisons:
  Newsom: “In basketball, I was more of a Danny Ainge type… In baseball, I tried to have a Will Clark swing.” [31:53]

5. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness): The Wild West of College Sports [32:33 – 36:19]

• California’s Pioneering Law:
  Newsom was first to sign the Fair Play Act with LeBron on The Shop, giving college athletes NIL rights.

  “Total exploitation, man. Coaches getting $25-million contracts. These kids literally on food stamps.” [35:19]

• Need for Boundaries:
  Jack and Moss point to abuses in college eligibility and the professionalization of youth sports.

6. The Club Sports Industrial Complex [36:19 – 40:04]

• Pay-to-Play Problem:
  Newsom, Jack, and Moss riff on how club sports rob many kids of opportunity, with private trainers and expensive club fees shutting out low-income families.

“From a socioeconomic perspective, locking out folks that simply cannot afford all that travel... Seems like every club day has a damn private trainer.”
—Gavin Newsom [39:26]

7. Willie Brown and Political Mentorship [40:04 – 43:59]

• Game-changing Appointment:
  Newsom credits legendary mayor Willie Brown for picking him “off the bench”—from business to the Parking & Traffic Commission to the Board of Supervisors:

“What he taught me more than anything: get shit done, man. You’re not here to make a point. Make a goddamn difference.”
—Gavin Newsom [42:53]

8. Social Media, Information Wars, and The Left’s New Aggression [44:19 – 54:56]

• Online Presence:
  Newsom details his aggressive pivot to TikTok, Instagram, Fox News appearances, and debates with Ron DeSantis to counter right-wing messaging and reach the disengaged:

  “We’ve got to get on the offense and more importantly, call the bullshit... We’re not fucking around. You come at us? Let’s go.” [46:42]

• Prop 50 & Organizing:
  Urges political mobilization and use of formal authority—attributing the Democratic woes to lack of perceived strength.

9. Media Consolidation and Crony Capitalism [54:56 – 57:37]

• Big Tech and Right-Wing Media:
  Newsom expresses alarm at Murdoch, Ellison, Musk, and consolidation of media power:

“The greatest grift in modern American history… This is sick scammer what’s going on in the goddamn country—aided and abetted by law firms, universities, and media.”
—Gavin Newsom [56:16]

10. Immigration, Disappearances & Authoritarian Tactics [58:22 – 63:14]

• Human Impact:
  Chilling details of people disappearing in unmarked cars, with Newsom describing a weeping Ventura boy whose parents were snatched:

  “That’s America in 2025. Donald Trump. Terror on the streets of America.” [59:15]

• Fines on Universities Over Antisemitism Claims:
  Claims Trump administration seeks billion-dollar penalties against UCs, despite state leadership on combating antisemitism.

11. California's Reputation vs. National Narrative [63:53 – 67:49]

• “California Derangement Syndrome”:
  Newsom complains of a “whole industry built on bashing California,” despite leading the nation in innovation, Nobel laureates, and economic power.

“Fourth largest economy in the world. $4.1 trillion a year. Eat your heart out, Germany… Yet 24/7 you see what the hell’s wrong with it.”
—Gavin Newsom [66:18]

12. California’s Global Cultural Impact (Hip Hop, Law & Expression) [72:01 – 75:31]

• Protecting Artistic Expression:
  Newsom signs law with artists like E-40 and Too Short to prevent prosecutors from using rap lyrics as evidence in trials.

• Compton and Creative Vitality:
  Celebrates Compton’s academic and artistic accomplishments as proof of California’s ongoing spirit.

13. Quick Hitters & Lighter Moments [75:31 – End]

• Hair Care Routines and Jokes

• Desert Island Album: Newsom reminisces about albums, admits he’s “in a country music phase now.” [78:08]

• Greatest NBA Player:
  Newsom diplomatically weighs MJ, Kobe, and LeBron, ultimately giving special props to LeBron for on- and off-court impact:

  “What he’s done off the court, how he comports himself—that matters to me.” [83:37]

• Smoke Signal:
  Newsom gets serious:

  “This whole thing—we will lose our country if we lose the midterm elections… This guy’s an invasive species.” [79:43]

• Dream Guest:
  “I want Donald Trump on the show.” [84:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Urgency:
  “We have to meet the community where they are.” —Newsom [12:26]

• On Trump’s Media Persona:
  “He’s putting himself on Mount Rushmore... If my 9-year-old put something like that, he wouldn’t have his devices for a month.” [46:42]

• On Youth Sports:
  “It’s not just living through them—they trying to force something to happen that ain’t meant to happen.” —Nicole Moss [37:12]

• On Willie Brown:
  “He picks me out the blue, and in two years... that changed the trajectory of my life.” —Newsom [40:20]

• On Media Ownership:
  “I’m surprised Trump doesn’t sell knee pads with his initials and bibs for you busters as he’s selling perfume that smells like success.” —Newsom [55:20]

• On Election Stakes:
  “This whole thing—we will lose our country if we lose the midterm elections. ...This is different. This guy’s an invasive species, man.” —Newsom [79:43]

Important Timestamps

• Oakland, Community & Sports History: [03:56–20:18]
• Current Politics, Rule of Law, & Trump: [44:19–54:56]
• NIL and Youth Sports: [32:33–40:04]
• Growing Up, Family, Mentorship: [22:22–43:59]
• Media Consolidation & Democracy: [54:56–57:37]
• Immigration, Civil Rights Erosion: [58:22–63:14]
• California’s Strengths vs. Critique: [63:53–67:49]
• Hip Hop, Artistic Protection: [72:01–75:31]
• Pop Culture Quick Hitters: [75:31–84:18]
• Closing & Call to Vote (Prop 50): [81:17–82:07]

Tone

Conversational, raw, unscripted and urgent—interspersed with humor, personal anecdotes, and direct challenges to the status quo (“we’re not fucking around. You come at us? Let’s go.”). Newsom repeatedly returns to the themes of community, belonging, principle-driven action, and confronting authoritarian drift in America.

Summary Takeaway

Gavin Newsom leverages his appearance on All The Smoke for powerful storytelling, personal confessions, and a pressing call to action for 2025’s elections. The episode offers a rare fusion of sports, politics, and lived experience—bluntly outlining the stakes for democracy, community, and California’s role in the nation’s future.

Listen if you want: Deep political insight from a major Democratic voice, unfiltered takes on Trumpism, a love letter and elegy to Oakland, or simply candid barbershop-level conversation about life, sports, and community.