The Rubin Report: "Shark Tank Legend Explains the Real Reason Gavin Newsom's 2028 Chances Just Died" Date: January 20, 2026 Host: Dave Rubin

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Rubin dives into the political chaos unraveling in the United States one year after Donald Trump was sworn in again as President. Key topics include Kevin O’Leary’s biting critique of Gavin Newsom's presidential aspirations, the Minnesota fraud scandals involving immigrant-run slush funds, Don Lemon’s controversial church protest coverage, Democratic corruption and anti-Israel bias, and new radical leadership in Virginia. Rubin’s tone is satirical, pointed, and often combative, as he tackles issues around law and order, immigration, media hypocrisy, and free speech.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kevin O’Leary on Gavin Newsom’s 2028 Presidential Prospects

• Main Idea: Kevin O’Leary ("Mr. Wonderful" from Shark Tank) believes Gavin Newsom's presidential ambitions are doomed due to financial mismanagement and burgeoning scandals comparable to Minnesota's fraud crisis.
• Highlight: O’Leary emphasizes that ads against Newsom will highlight the mass exodus from California, specifically referencing U-Haul rentals as evidence of people fleeing the state.
• Quote (Kevin O’Leary, 11:13):
  “The most compelling ad you could possibly run telling the story of California is the number of U-Haul vans leaving the state versus the number of U-Haul vans heading into the state.”
• Rubin’s Take (13:40): Describes his own costly personal experience moving out of California, reinforcing O’Leary’s point.

2. Minnesota Fraud Scandal & Failed Law Enforcement

• Main Idea: Explains the multi-layered fraud uncovered in Minnesota, centered on fake Somali daycare centers siphoning federal funds and failing local law enforcement support for ICE.
• Jacob Frey & Tim Walz: Rubin ridicules local officials as enablers of chaos (“Somali warlord running Minnesota”—16:02), highlighting their refusal to cooperate with ICE.
• Citizen Journalist Nick Sorter (21:25): Shares his experience of being robbed while investigating fraud, and the lack of police response:
  “I’m an American citizen, born and bred here, that is being told that I’m not allowed to be in an American city…according to the police out there, you know, a felony robbery is not enough for them to go after the perpetrator.”
• Joel Onsdale on Fraud Response (28:10):
  “Whenever you’d turn off fraud…the people who would scream the most were the fraudsters.”

3. Don Lemon’s Church Protest Controversy

• Main Idea: Don Lemon joined a protest that disrupted a church service in Minneapolis, claiming journalistic purpose while Rubin accuses him of activism and violating legal protections of worship spaces.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Don Lemon, 50:18:
    “This is the beginning of what’s gonna happen here. When you violate people’s due process…people get upset and angry. If you remember what the civil rights movement was about…these very kinds of protests.”
  • Rubin response, 52:19:
    “It’s disgusting…for you, as a black man, to compare this to the civil rights protests…[those] were trying to ensure that black people would have equality under the law…It is not guaranteed in the Constitution that anyone can come to America and stay here as long as they want.”
• Legal Angle: Rubin points out that protests inside churches are not protected under the First Amendment and shares DOJ statements about impending legal action against Lemon.
• Pastor’s Response (57:41):
  “This is unacceptable…it’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship. This is the house of God, which makes it everybody’s house…this stirs division and rancor. Ultimately, I believe they lost.”

4. Democratic Corruption & Internal Bigotry

• Kamala Harris VP Vetting Scandal:
  • Josh Shapiro’s Experience (1:26:10):
    Harris’s team intensely questioned him, a Jewish gubernatorial candidate, about being an Israeli agent—something Shapiro found offensive and implied was only asked of him due to his religion.
  • Quote from Shapiro’s book:
    "Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?”
• Tim Walz as VP Pick:
  • Chosen, Rubin implies, because of his fundraising ties linked to Minnesota’s fraud networks, raising questions about money laundering in Democratic campaigns.

5. Leadership Shifts in Virginia

• New Officials with Radical Positions:
  • Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi sworn in on the Quran, which Rubin interprets as culturally antithetical to American values (1:37:00).
  • J. Jones, new Attorney General, known for making violent remarks about Republicans.
  • New Governor Abigail Spangberger campaigns against cooperating with ICE and promptly repeals executive cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
• Rubin’s Commentary (1:43:30):
  “Most people that go into policing…want to keep things safe for people. So you’re asking these people to be less than their best selves. And I suppose things will only get worse under her.”

6. Broader Cultural and Political Reflections

• Breakdown of institutions and the rule of law: Rubin asserts that the left’s willingness to unleash activist mobs whenever necessary (BLM, COVID, pro-Hamas protests) erodes social norms and safety.
• Thomas Sowell on Immigration (2:02:37):
  “You can’t let everybody come to America, because if everybody came to America, it wouldn’t be America anymore.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Kevin O’Leary, 11:13: “The most compelling ad…is the number of U-Haul vans leaving the state versus…the number heading in.”
• Nick Sorter, 21:25: “I’m an American citizen…being told that I’m not allowed to be in an American city.”
• Joel Onsdale, 28:10: “The people who would scream the most were the fraudsters.”
• Don Lemon, 50:18: “This is the beginning of what’s gonna happen here…When you start pulling people off the street and not abiding by the Constitution.”
• Rubin, 52:19: “You, as a black man, would compare this to the civil rights protests…[that] were trying to ensure equality under the law.”
• Pastor, 57:41: “This is unacceptable…it’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”
• Keith Ellison, 1:12:50: “This is First Amendment activity…if Trump likes you, you can do no wrong. If he doesn’t, he’s gonna use every weapon he can against you…”
• Kamala Harris’s vetting team, reported by Josh Shapiro, 1:26:10: “Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?”
• Rubin, 1:43:30: “Most people that go into policing…want to keep things safe for people. So you’re asking these people to be less than their best selves.”
• Thomas Sowell, 2:02:37: “If everybody came to America, it wouldn’t be America anymore. So that’s not an option that we have.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 06:00: Introductory remarks and Trump’s one-year anniversary of (re-)inauguration
• 11:00 – 15:00: Kevin O’Leary on the U-Haul phenomenon and Newsom’s 2028 woes
• 16:00 – 30:00: Minnesota fraud, Daycare scandals, failures of law enforcement, Nick Sorter’s experience
• 50:00 – 58:00: Don Lemon church protest, legal implications, and clergy response
• 1:10:00 – 1:15:00: Keith Ellison and Minnesota’s protection of radical protester rights
• 1:25:00 – 1:30:00: Kamala’s problematic VP vetting, anti-Israel bias towards Josh Shapiro
• 1:37:00 – 1:48:00: Virginia’s new leadership and anti-ICE policy changes
• 2:02:37: Thomas Sowell on the limits and philosophy of immigration

Summary & Takeaways

• Gavin Newsom’s political future is threatened by large-scale public dissatisfaction with California’s policies and administration, amplified by media figures like Kevin O’Leary.
• Corruption and lawlessness—exemplified by fraudulent federal funding in Minnesota’s Somali community, and the lack of local cooperation with ICE—are portrayed as symptoms of a broken, progressive-run system.
• Don Lemon’s foray into church protests blurs lines between activism and journalism, potentially violating federal laws and sparking national commentary on religious freedom and free speech.
• The Democratic Party is dogged by scandals, including religious bigotry toward Jewish officials, questionable fundraising mechanisms, and radical shifts in state leadership, particularly in Virginia.
• The episode closes with a warning about the erosion of American values and sovereignty due to unrestricted immigration and the abandonment of foundational principles.

The episode provides a critical, often caustic, narrative on leftist governance, media hypocrisy, threats to traditional institutions, and the future of American identity, laced with dark humor and indignation.