In new memoir, Gavin Newsom reflects on his political rise

Summary

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NPR's Book of the Day – "In new memoir, Gavin Newsom reflects on his political rise"

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Andrew Limbong
Featured Guest: Governor Gavin Newsom
Interviewer: Ailsa Chang

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on California Governor Gavin Newsom and his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry. Newsom sits down with NPR’s Ailsa Chang to discuss the struggles and discoveries chronicled in his book, his unique journey in politics, his outreach to conservative voices via his podcast, and the often-challenging balance between elite privilege and relatability. With Newsom seen as a leading possible contender for the 2028 presidential election, the interview provides a candid look at his motivations, vulnerabilities, and political strategy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Purpose and Timing of Newsom’s Memoir

[02:28–03:02]

• Many politicians release memoirs as a launchpad for future campaigns; Chang presses Newsom about whether his is different.
• Newsom contends that his story is "deeply reflective" and "self-critical," breaking from the norm of retrospective memoirs written in retirement, stating:

  "I'm not out of office when I'm writing this. This is not looking back in the rocking chair." (Gavin Newsom, 02:42)

2. Early Life and the Quest for Identity

[03:02–04:05]

• Newsom discusses being bullied, his struggle to fit in, and the lighthearted yet telling origin of his signature hairstyle:
  • Chang notes his attempt to emulate Pierce Brosnan from Remington Steele to shed his "dork" image.
  • Newsom humorously recalls his sister’s embarrassment, revealing ongoing self-discovery:

    "I was walking around in suits in high school... just testing as kids do, trying to discover who I am. But that process continues to this day."
    (Gavin Newsom, 03:46)

3. Navigating Privilege and Relatability

[04:05–05:15]

• The memoir wrestles with dual realities: growing up with a single mom versus the advantages of connections to the Getty and Pelosi families.
• Newsom acknowledges both privilege and hardship, explaining:

  "I'm not trying to force feed anything. I'm just sharing my story, my life. Story of my mom's life, story of her struggles, story of my struggles as it relates to reading and learning disabilities... of sweaty hands, of anxiety, insecurity, of trying to be someone I’m not, of making mistakes, learning from those mistakes..."
  (Gavin Newsom, 04:48)

4. The "This is Gavin Newsom" Podcast and Conservative Voices

[05:15–06:21]

• Newsom’s recent podcast brings in notable conservative guests (e.g., Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon, Ben Shapiro).
• He frames this as a commitment to open dialogue:

  "This is Gavin Newsom. That's who I am. Open hand, not a closed fist... Divorce is not an option."
  (Gavin Newsom, 05:34)

• In response to criticism over giving a platform to right-wing figures, he says:

  "Just because we don’t want to focus on [them] doesn’t mean they go away... it's who I am. That's why I'm here in a rural part of a red state."
  (Gavin Newsom, 06:21)

5. Political Strategy: Engagement and Contradictions

[06:29–07:42]

• Chang probes the apparent contradictions between Newsom’s outreach to conservatives and combative trolling of President Trump on social media ("MAGA branded knee pads," mocking Trump's style/body).
• Newsom asserts:

  "You can be both. ... I'm who I am. I'm consistently me. I'm interested in other people. I'm interested in what makes them work. I don't talk down or pass people." (Gavin Newsom, 07:29)

• On "fighting fire with fire" while still striving for civility:

  "I'm putting a mirror up to President Trump and I'm fighting fire with fire, and I'm punching a bully back in the mouth. And at the same time, I'm the same guy who walked out on the tarmac to welcome him into L.A. so that he could support the people that were torn asunder because of those wildfires." (Gavin Newsom, 07:42)

6. 2028 Presidential Ambitions and Core Values

[08:03–08:46]

• Chang bluntly asks about a presidential run. Newsom is noncommittal, referencing humility and fate:

  "There's humility. I mean this whole book is about humility. It's about grace. It's about, hey, I'm still that kid in the back of the room."
  (Gavin Newsom, 08:26)

• On his public approach:

  "Just conviction, just letting it go, just putting it all out there, calling balls and strikes and I'm going to run the 110 yard dash... I'm not going to be a bystander to this moment and I'm just doing everything I can to meet it head on." (Gavin Newsom, 08:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On political memoirs:

  "They may write an autobiography but not like this... deeply reflective and self-critical."
  (Gavin Newsom, 02:42)

• On youth and self-image:

  "She [sister] gave me money to buy jeans because she was so embarrassed. ... That process [of discovering who I am] continues to this day."
  (Gavin Newsom, 03:46)

• On relatability:

  "I'm just offering a glimpse of some of the things that people may not see. Of sweaty hands, of anxiety, insecurity, of trying to be someone I'm not..."
  (Gavin Newsom, 04:48)

• On political engagement in red states:

  "For the Democratic Party not to give up on red states and rural parts of the country... we've been doing this for years now."
  (Gavin Newsom, 01:57)

• On his balance of confrontation and dialogue:

  "I'm putting a mirror up to President Trump and I'm fighting fire with fire, and I'm punching a bully back in the mouth. And at the same time... I walked out on the tarmac to welcome him into L.A."
  (Gavin Newsom, 07:42)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:14] – Introduction to Newsom and his memoir
• [02:28] – The purpose behind the memoir’s timing
• [03:02] – Newsom on his teenage identity struggles
• [04:05] – Addressing privilege and relatability
• [05:15] – Launching his podcast and conservative guests
• [06:29] – Reconciling outreach and combative social tactics
• [08:03] – Presidential aspirations and his current focus

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is candid, reflective, and frequently humorous, with both Newsom and Chang navigating personal anecdotes, criticisms, and political realities. Newsom seeks to position himself not as a flawless or typical politician, but as someone still learning, willing to engage adversaries, and intent on genuine dialogue—even when it appears contradictory. He’s clear about his convictions but open about his vulnerabilities, making for an intriguing profile of a potential future presidential candidate in a pivotal moment for American politics.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. A lot of politicians love being relatable. They love to front being like, hey, I'm just like you. I drink beer and eat at diners and all of that. Of course, that's not usually true. A U.S. congressman or governor almost by definition has a completely different lifestyle from me and you, which is why I appreciated the question NPR's Ailsa Chang posed to California Governor Gavin Newsom about why exactly he thinks everyday Americans should relate to him. He's got a new memoir out titled Young man in a Hurry, A Rising Politician coming out with a book. You know what that usually means. But Newsom says in this interview that this book is different. That's ahead.

[NPR Sponsor/Announcer]

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[Ailsa Chang]

Gavin Newsom is finishing up his final year as governor of California, and he's widely considered one of the leading potential candidates for president in 2028. He's also out with a new memoir called Young man in a Hurry, where he writes about the struggles of his childhood and of his political rise.

[Gavin Newsom]

Nice to see you. How are you?

[Ailsa Chang]

And while on book tour, Newsom's also been trying to energize voters across the country.

[Gavin Newsom]

Donald Trump knows he's going to get crushed in the midterm election. He knows he's going to get crushed.

[Ailsa Chang]

We caught up with Newsom this week in rural South Carolina. He was stumping for Democrats in a county that voted for President Trump in the last two elections.

[Gavin Newsom]

I think it's really important for the Democratic Party not to give up on red states and rural parts of the country. And I've been doing this for years now. I had a PAC that's exclusively focused Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, where, you know, we spend a day or two in the way someplace else and make sure we're supporting local Democratic causes.

[Ailsa Chang]

You're on book tour right now. Often when people are planning to run for president, they write an autobiography. Your new memoir is out this week.

[Gavin Newsom]

Yeah.

[Ailsa Chang]

Why does now feel like the right time to be telling everybody your life story?

[Gavin Newsom]

Well, I appreciate the question. You know, they may write an autobiography but not like this.

[Ailsa Chang]

What do you mean? What's different about yours?

[Gavin Newsom]

This is a little different. I mean this is pretty self critical. This is very deeply reflective and it's not, I'm not out of office when I'm writing this. This is not looking back in the rocking chair. But it was an opportunity to talk about my own journey in terms of discovering who I am. It's called Young Men in a Hurry, A Memoir of Discovery.

[Ailsa Chang]

One of the things that I learned about you for the first time when I was reading this book was how you kind of felt like a growing up. I mean, you were bullied in high school. You wondered how to remake your image which led to the whole origin story of your now famous hairstyle.

[Gavin Newsom]

Oh gosh, yeah, you read that, I read that. You decided you should have skipped that.

[Ailsa Chang]

Well, this is what I want to ask you. Because you decided you wanted to look like Pierce Brosnan from the TV show Remington Steele. Explain why that was the solution to your teenage problem.

[Gavin Newsom]

I think you used the word dork. It was also used by my sister who said I looked like one when I started showing her.

[Ailsa Chang]

She said you weren't helping her luck in high school.

[Gavin Newsom]

I was actually, she said literally she gave me money to buy jeans because she was so embarrassed. I was walking around in suits in high school and was sort of trying to emulate other people. Just testing as kids do, trying to discover who I am. But that process continues to this day.

[Ailsa Chang]

I mean, you did live sort of a split screen reality between growing up with your single mom and then the occasional proximity to the Getty family. And you do acknowledge, right, that you were a beneficiary of that proximity. And so I felt that in this book you do take great pains to paint yourself in some aspects as an outsider. But you do also acknowledge that you've been on the inside as well, right? Like you have had these family connections to the Gettys family, connections to the Pelosi's and frankly by this time governor, you've been famous for half of your life. So I guess my question, my basic question for you is why should ordinary Americans feel that they can relate to you?

[Gavin Newsom]

I'm not trying to force feed anything. I'm just sharing my story, my life. Story of my mom's life, story of her struggles, story of my struggles as it relates to reading and learning disabilities. And I'm just offering a glimpse of some of the things that people may not see. Of sweaty hands, of anxiety, insecurity, of trying to be someone I'm not of making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, and painted a picture of also a family history that I knew nothing about until I wrote the book.

[Ailsa Chang]

You've not only written this book, you have launched a podcast about a year ago.

[Gavin Newsom]

Yes.

[Ailsa Chang]

A podcast called this is Gavin Newsom. And you've made a real effort to bring in conservative guests on this podcast, like the late Charlie Kurt, like Steve Bannon, Ben Shapiro. Why has that been important to you, to bring conservative voices on this podcast?

[Gavin Newsom]

Because this is Gavin Newsom. That's who I am. Open hand, not a closed fist. I mean, I said it. We just had a rally here. I said divorce is not an option. It's just not.

[Ailsa Chang]

We have to get along. You mean as a country, as human beings.

[Gavin Newsom]

It's just exhausting.

[Ailsa Chang]

What do you make of the criticism that bringing guests like that onto your podcast is just pandering to the right?

[Gavin Newsom]

I think it's fair. It means. And that's why you don't have to listen. And I brought on Charlie Kirk because I wanted to understand what motivated him. I wanted to understand why he had built such a successful organization that powered young men, particularly young men who the Democratic Party have lost to Donald Trump's side. And, you know, I thought it was important to understand that. And, you know, some people thought it was offensive, but just to have someone

[Ailsa Chang]

like him on you.

[Gavin Newsom]

Yeah, but, you know, just because we don't want to focus on doesn't mean they go away. And so it's just. It's who I am. That's why I'm here in a rural part of a red state.

[Ailsa Chang]

Okay. I want to understand who you are politically, because I'm trying to understand your overall strategy here. On one hand, you are bringing people like the late Charlie Kirk, like Steve Bannon, onto your podcast. On the other hand, you're trolling President Trump on X. Yeah. You mock his writing style, you mock his body. You are selling mega branded.

[Gavin Newsom]

We shouldn't be body shaming. Let me double check that.

[Ailsa Chang]

All these MAGA branded knee pads, they're there for all your groveling to Trump needs.

[Gavin Newsom]

Yeah. No, that's for the universities, the law firms. That's for major corporate leaders as well as major media companies. Yes. Dpads are for them.

[Ailsa Chang]

Okay. How do you square those playground insults with the listening sessions that you're having with these conservatives on the podcast?

[Gavin Newsom]

Because I think you can be both. And. But what if you're confusing people as

[Ailsa Chang]

to what you sincerely believe? Like, why not present just one Gavin Newsom, one consistent tone across all platforms? I am what's the consistent tone?

[Gavin Newsom]

I'm who I am. I'm consistently me. I'm interested in other people. I'm interested in what makes them work. I don't talk down or pass people.

[Ailsa Chang]

But you don't think you're talking down to President Trump on I'm putting, well,

[Gavin Newsom]

I'm putting a mirror up to President Trump and I'm fighting fire with fire and I'm punching a bully back in the mouth. And at the same time, I'm the same guy walked out on the tarmac to welcome him into L. A so that he can support the people that were torn asunder because of those wildfires. I was the one who was in the Oval Office, the first Democrat for 90 minutes trying to do the same. That's who I am.

[Ailsa Chang]

Well, I'm just going to ask you, are you going to run for president or not in 2020?

[Gavin Newsom]

But you know, I made a, probably a mistake where I was asked a different question. Someone asked me, said, have you ever thought about it? And I got caught by saying yes, I thought about it, but briefly. But briefly. So I don't know what makes you

[Ailsa Chang]

back away from this thought when you

[Gavin Newsom]

think about just fate, it's, you know, there's humility. I mean this whole book is about humility. It's about grace. It's about, hey, I'm still that kid

[Ailsa Chang]

in the back of the room, widely considered one of the leading potential candidates we'll see for president in the next two years. So whatever you're doing right now, something seems to be working at least right now. What do you think that might be?

[Gavin Newsom]

Just conviction, just letting it go, just putting all out there, calling balls and strikes and I'm going to run the 110 yard dash. I got a sell by date as governor and we'll see what happens. But I'm not going to be a bystander to this moment and I'm just doing everything I can to meet it head on. And some people will embrace it and others will reject it and that's okay.

[Ailsa Chang]

California Governor Gavin Newsom, thank you very much for your time.

[Gavin Newsom]

It's great to be here.

[Ailsa Chang]

It's a pleasure.

[Gavin Newsom]

Thanks for coming out.

[Ailsa Chang]

And you can watch a longer version of our interview with Newsom on NPR's YouTube channel.

[NPR Sponsor/Announcer]

Foreign.

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