Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – “Donkey of the Day: Fox News Host Blasts Gavin Newsom Over His Deliberate Imitation Of Trump’s Erratic Tweets”

Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
Charlamagne Tha God presents the “Donkey of the Day” segment, focusing on Fox News host Dana Perino’s criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom for adopting Donald Trump’s combative, erratic social media style. The discussion unpacks the deliberate “mirror effect” strategy Newsom employs on social media, the ensuing outrage from Fox News, and broader questions about political discourse and media hypocrisy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Controversy (03:00–04:49)

• Charlamagne introduces “Donkey of the Day,” awarded to Dana Perino.
• Outlines Gavin Newsom’s recent adoption of Trump-style all-caps, mocking social media posts, and how this has incensed conservative commentators.
• Background: Newsom’s podcast history, attempts at accessible political dialogue, and recent shift to a more provocative tone.

Charlamagne, on Newsom’s style shift:
“Gavin Newsom, for the past week and some change, has been doing what I’ve wanted a Democrat to do for a long time... Michelle Obama once said, ‘When they go low, we go high’... When they go low, you go to hell. And Gavin Newsom... has been going to hell with the Trump administration... Just matching energy and I like it.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [03:35]

2. News Segment – Newsom’s Trump-Style Tweets (04:49–05:51)

• MSNBC clips highlight the escalation between Trump and Newsom, including Trump’s aggressive federal interventions in California and Newsom’s subsequent trolling on X (Twitter).
• Newsom’s all-caps, taunting posts mirror Trump’s signature style (“Speaker Little Man Johnson... Donald Taco J. Trump”).

3. Explaining the “Mirror Effect” (05:51–06:36; 08:47–09:36)

• Charlamagne frames Newsom’s strategy through “Law 44: Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect” from The 48 Laws of Power.
• The use of mirroring is described as a powerful psychological tactic to “confuse and gain the upper hand.”

Quote:
“Somebody has been reading the 48 Laws of Power. Law 44, Disarm and Infuriate with the mirror effect. And, oh, people like Dana Perino on Fox are absolutely infuriated.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [05:51]

4. Fox News Reaction & Hypocrisy (06:08–08:47)

• Dana Perino criticizes Newsom’s tweets, suggesting he’s making a fool of himself and lacks seriousness for higher office.
• Charlamagne calls out the double standard, questioning whether Perino and others hold Trump to the same standard.
• Clips from additional Fox News personalities mock Newsom’s approach, likening it to Kanye West and calling it “childish.”

Quote:
“Do you understand what the mirror effect is?... By reflecting their behavior, you can confuse them, make them overreact, and ultimately gain the upper hand.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [06:36]

5. Newsom’s Explanation (09:36–10:15)

• Newsom directly addresses his strategy, saying it’s meant as a “wake up call” and that if people have issues with his behavior, they should be more concerned with the normalization of Trump’s conduct.

Quote:
“I hope it’s a wake up call... If you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president. But I think the deeper question is how have we allowed the normalization of his tweets... to go without similar scrutiny and notice?”
— Gavin Newsom [09:44]

• Charlamagne challenges Fox News to meaningfully answer Newsom’s question about normalization and selective outrage.

6. Segment Wrap-Up & “Hee-Haw” Award (10:15–11:01)

• Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God underscore Dana Perino’s hypocrisy with their signature “hee haw” donkey sound.
• The segment transitions to lighter Breakfast Club banter and new phone-in topics, signalling the end of the “Donkey of the Day.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Charlamagne Tha God on the “mirror effect”:
  “Governor Gavin Newsom is biting Donald Trump’s whole flow, word for word, bar for bar. It is a deliberate imitation of Donald Trump’s nut ass social media style... It’s brilliant.” [06:36]
• Fox commentator mocking Newsom:
  “I feel like he’s trying so hard to be Trump, but he’s coming off like Kanye West. He seems absolutely insane.” [08:39]
• Newsom explaining his social strategy:
  “If you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president.” [09:44]
• Charlamagne, on hypocrisy:
  “Fox News... you would be better off saying it’s time for all of this type of foolishness to stop. You would be better off saying we really don’t like it from President Trump. And this isn’t something to be imitated. But to act like it’s cool when Trump do it, but it’s a problem when Gavin does it? Knock it off. The hypocrisy is disgusting.” [06:36]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] Donkey of the Day introduction – Charlamagne singles out Dana Perino
• [04:49] MSNBC news clip details Newsom’s Trump-style social media mocking
• [05:51] Law 44: “The Mirror Effect” explained
• [06:08] Dana Perino’s Fox News critique
• [06:36] Charlamagne calls out Fox News hypocrisy
• [08:03] More Fox News reactions and ridicule
• [08:47] Charlamagne: “The hypocrisy is disgusting”
• [09:36] Newsom explains his posting strategy
• [10:15] Charlamagne: The issue of normalization
• [10:55] Angela Yee: “Hee haw” conclusion

Overall Tone and Style

• The segment mixes Charlamagne’s signature blend of sharp social critique with humor and pop-culture references.
• The tone is unapologetically direct, irreverent, and combative—mirroring the energy of the behaviors under discussion.
• The hosts openly challenge political hypocrisy, using satire and candor to prod their targets.

Summary

This episode’s “Donkey of the Day” sharply critiques Fox News’s double standards and Dana Perino’s outrage at Gavin Newsom’s deliberate imitation of Trump’s social media tactics. Charlamagne Tha God praises Newsom for giving conservatives “a taste of their own medicine,” carefully explains the psychological wartime usage of the “mirror effect,” and calls for honest reflection on why Trump’s erratic style has been accepted for so long. The segment is rich in media analysis and debate around political authenticity, strategy, and the persistent normalization of low-road rhetoric in American politics.