A Conversation with Gavin Newsom's Worst Nightmare—Larry Elder - The Charlie Kirk Show

The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: "A Conversation with Gavin Newsom's Worst Nightmare—Larry Elder"

Date: July 15, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guest: Larry Elder

Episode Overview

In this flash episode, Charlie Kirk sits down with Larry Elder, renowned radio host and recent entrant into the 2021 California gubernatorial recall race against Governor Gavin Newsom. The conversation centers on Elder’s motivations for running, his critique of Newsom's leadership, California’s most pressing crises, the mechanics of the recall election, the challenges and opportunities for conservatives in California, and broader national implications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Larry Elder’s Motivation for Running for Governor

Larry opens up about his initial reluctance to run—describing California as seemingly "ungovernable" due to the heavy Democratic supermajority.
Over time, personal appeals from respected figures, including Dennis Prager and Pastor Jack Hibbs, led Elder to feel a "moral obligation" to act for the state he was born and raised in, citing his family’s journey and declining opportunities for Californians.

"I just kind of just threw my hands up. But more and more people I respected, Charlie, began talking to me about this...I began to feel that I almost had a moral obligation..." (03:05)

2. Critique of Gavin Newsom & California Policies

Elder lists rising crime, homelessness, cost of living, and declining education as direct results of detrimental left-leaning policies in Sacramento.
Points out “anti-growth” attitudes and COVID-19 restrictions enacted and ignored by Newsom, referencing high-profile incidents like the French Laundry dinner.

“This is the guy who imposed the most strict coronavirus mandates of all 50 states while ignoring them...dining with the very lobbyists and contributors that made the mandate that they were violating.” (04:35)
Newsom is accused of hypocrisy—having his own child in private school and exempting his winery from shutdown mandates.
Elder discusses the uneven economic recovery:

"Most states, two thirds of the jobs have come back. In California, only half the jobs have come back." (05:54)
He shares personal stories on the mental health and criminal consequences of prolonged school closures on California youth.

3. Recall Election Mechanics and Timeline

Elder explains the two-step recall process:
1. Voters decide whether to remove Newsom (requires 50% + 1).
2. If so, the top vote-getter among the replacement candidates becomes governor, not needing a majority—just more votes than any other single candidate.
“You first vote to remove Gavin Newsom. If 50% plus one votes to remove Gavin Newsom, the person that got the highest vote to replace him will be the next governor.” (08:36)
Ballots are sent out in about a month, with the election culminating on September 14, 2021.
Kirk and Elder agree on the enthusiasm gap:

"The enthusiasm is on our side. There's virtually no enthusiasm on their side." (12:59)

4. Field of Candidates and Republican Strategy

Elder notes a large, unfocused field, with an estimated 50–100 candidates, but asserts his own broad name recognition.
Kirk urges consolidation around Elder to avoid splitting the non-Newsom vote:

“Republicans they need to get out of this race, okay? Larry’s the guy. It’s obvious he can speak the language, he has the charisma, he’s an outsider.” (12:02)

5. Race, Identity, and Media Attacks

Elder jokes about being labeled a "white nationalist" by Newsom’s campaign:

“He's characterizing the campaign as an effort to oust him by Trump-supporting white nationalists. Charlie, you've known me a long time. Am I a white nationalist? I may be a lot of things, but I ain't a white nationalist.” (06:38)
Discusses his background as a black Californian, the story of his father's struggle, and connects it to the fading "California Dream."

6. Core Issues in the Recall Race

Both agree that campaign focus should be on the COVID-19 lockdown controversy, cost of living, homelessness, and crime—rather than arcane policy subjects:

“You don’t need to run on, like, reforming the California pension system. That stuff…that’s a distraction. You can figure that out once you’re there; you focus on the referendum and the energy around that.” (14:32)
Elder brings up the French Laundry incident and a $500 million mask deal with China, both as evidence of Newsom's mismanagement.

7. Broader National Stakes

Elder argues that California is a warning for the rest of the country:

“...how California goes, the rest of the country goes. And so it's a fight not just for California, but it's a fight for the rest of the country because the rest of the country could very well suffer the same fate.” (17:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On deciding to run:

“I began to feel that I almost had a moral obligation to try and do something about it.” — Larry Elder (03:10)
On Newsom’s hypocrisy:

“There he is dining with the very lobbyists and contributors that made the mandate that they were violating.” — Larry Elder (04:45)
On campaign attacks:

“He's characterizing the campaign as an effort to oust him by Trump-supporting white nationalists. Charlie, you've known me a long time. Am I a white nationalist? I may be a lot of things, but I ain't a white nationalist.” — Larry Elder (06:38)
On COVID policy and schools:

“This would not have happened had Gavin Newsom listened to the science that said in school learning would be okay with certain precautions... He ignored it because he was doing the bidding of the teachers union.” — Larry Elder (05:36)
On the stakes nationwide:

“How California goes, the rest of the country goes.” — Larry Elder (17:41)
On sacrifice:

“I'm not a rich guy, Charlie. I got a little bit of money. It's all tied up in my house. So I cannot do this without money from other people.” — Larry Elder (18:33)

Key Timestamps

[02:02] Why Larry Elder decided to run and California's core problems
[04:35] Newsom’s COVID policy hypocrisy and effects on real Californians
[06:38] Elder’s response to being labeled a “white nationalist”
[08:36] Explanation of the recall election mechanics and timetable
[12:59] Voter enthusiasm and potential for upset in the recall
[14:32] Why the lockdowns and personal hypocrisy are top campaign issues
[16:00] California’s party label issues and why the recall is doable
[17:41] Recall’s national implications
[18:33] The personal and financial sacrifices Elder is making to run

Summary

This episode provides an in-depth look at Larry Elder’s gubernatorial recall campaign, framed as both a grassroots battle for California’s future and a cautionary tale for the nation. Elder sets himself apart as a candid, relatable, and energetic candidate, intent on highlighting Newsom’s failures—especially regarding cost of living, homelessness, education, and pandemic leadership. Kirk and Elder emphasize unprecedented enthusiasm among conservatives and the rare chance to upset California’s political status quo. Elder invites supporters to join via electelder.com, underscoring the uphill but, in his view, achievable battle ahead.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Hey, everybody. This episode is brought to you by my friends at ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN.com Charlie Secure your device. Anonymize your online activity. Protect your action online. Expressvpn.com Charlie help our show out by also helping yourself. Protect yourself. Expressvpn.com Charlie hey everybody. On a flash episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, Larry Elder is running for governor. I'm throwing my support behind him. He is phenomenal. He's a Salem radio host alongside me and Dennis Prager and so many others. Larry Elder is here. If you want to support our program, go to charliekirk.com support. That's charliekirk.com support. Email us your thoughts. Freedom. Charliekirk.com Larry Elder is here. Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

B (0:56)

I want you to know we are

A (0:58)

lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

C (1:03)

I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.

A (1:14)

We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we, we are here. Hey, everybody. On this flash episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, I am thrilled to have with us today someone that could do something that a year ago, two years ago, would have been, quite honestly, nearly impossible. With us today is Larry Elder. They call him the sage from South Central la. I think I got that right. Who hosts a show, Salem Radio Network. 6 to 9pm I love the show. Super articulate. But most importantly, he is now running to get rid of Gavin Newsom, which I am thrilled about. Larry, welcome back to the Charlie Kirk Show.

B (1:59)

Charlie, thank you so much for having me. It is an honor.

A (2:02)

So, Larry, I must ask, what on earth compelled you to want to go run in the political environment? You have a wonderful talk show. You get to travel the country, say what's ever on your mind, and now you want to go run for governor and tell us why you're running and tell us at this moment why you think you have a chance to become governor of California.

B (2:24)

Well, Charlie, it was an evolution. Dennis Prager first approached me and asked me to run and my response was, hell no. I thought the state was ungovernable. We have a super majority of Democrats in the Senate, a super majority of Democrats in the assembly, and of course we have a Left wing governor. Crime is going up, homelessness is going up, the cost of living is going crazy. Meanwhile, the quality of urban education is declining and I just kind of just threw my hands up. But more and more people I respected Charlie began talking to me about this, including Pastor Jack Hibbs of the Calgary Church. And I began to feel that I almost had a moral obligation to try and do something about it. I'm born and raised here. My father moved here back in 1945 right after the war and working two full time jobs as a janitor was able to afford a house that right now is worth $600,000. That's wonderful for our family because it's still in the, in the family. But if you try to do what my dad did, you work three jobs, you couldn't do it because the cost of living is insane. Because of the anti growth attitude that has been the case in California for the last 30 or 40 years as to why I think I can win. I'm not a, I'm a well known public figure out here in California. I've been on radio for 30 years. I'm in, I'm on an affiliate in Sacramento. I'm on an affiliate in the Bay Area. I'm on, in Riverside, I'm on in the central part of the state, Louisiana of course, Riverside, San Diego. So people know me. I've been talking about these issues for some 30 years and I think I can explain things in a way that Joe and Joe Six Pack can understand. A lot of times, Charlie, people leave California and they go to places like Texas and Florida and they bring their politics with them because they don't understand the connection between high crime and left wing policies out of Sacramento. They don't get the connection between the high price of housing and, and left wing policies. I can make them understand the reason the state is in the situation that it's in. The reason we have rising homelessness is because of asinine policies that have been pushed by Sacramento for decades and have been pushed by this reckless, arrogant, smug governor for the last two years. This is the guy who imposed the most strict coronavirus mandates of all 50 states while ignoring them. There he is sitting up there in the French Laundry and I found out, Charlie, I never even heard of the French Laundry until he was there. It's one of the most expensive restaurants, not just in California, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country. And there he is dining with the very lobbyists and contributors that made the mandate that they were violating. They weren't engaging in Social distancing. They weren't wearing masks while telling you to do that, which meant that they weren't really afraid, but they wanted you to be afraid. This is absolutely outrageous. And the man had his own kid continue in school, private education, and he exempted his own business, the winery, from the very mandate that everybody else had to suffer. Under most states, two thirds of the jobs have come back. In California, only half the jobs have come back. And it may be even worse because the bankruptcy courts have yet to open up and operate full time. So it's unclear how much damage he's done. All I know is he's done a great deal of damage. Charlie, in preparing for this campaign, I talked to a lot of people. Just yesterday we shot a bunch of commercials and the makeup lady was telling me about her son. She's a single mom and has a 17 year old kid. One of the top wrestlers in the state of California had been wrestling six days a week. And the wrestling coach, of course, is this father figure. Because he's been locked out. The kid has now gotten depressed, came to his mother, had enough class and integrity to tell his mom he felt suicidal. Charlie, he's now in therapy. I talked to another woman whose brother was a football coach up in Oakland. He's a white guy. Most of the players are black. They don't have fathers. He's their father figure. And they had structure. He begged and pleaded with the school board not to shut down training. They could at least do that outdoors without having to wear some masks. But they said no. And two of the kids got into trouble with the law. One of them committed a crime that's going to put him behind bars for years. This would not have happened had Gavin Newsom listened to the science that said in school learning would be okay with certain precautions. He ignored it because he was doing the bidding of the teachers union. They wanted schools locked down while the teachers still kept earning their full salaries. The man has got to go, Charlie. And my website is electelder.com electelder.com and we can't do it without an army of people contributing 5, 100, $200 because I have campaign finance limits. He does it. He can raise however amount of money he wants and spend however amount of money he wants. The union just put in $5 million on his campaign. And by the way, Charlie, he's characterizing the campaign and as an effort to oust him by Trump. Supporting white nationalists. Charlie, you've known me a long time. Am I a white nationalist? I may be a lot of things, but I ain't a white nationalist.