And, This Is A Look Back At The Biggest Moments of 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: "This is Gavin Newsom"

Episode: "And, This Is A Look Back At The Biggest Moments of 2025"

Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Gavin Newsom
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this reflective year-end episode, Governor Gavin Newsom revisits pivotal conversations from the 2025 season of his podcast. Featuring memorable exchanges with a range of thought leaders—spanning polarizing conservative voices like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, to cultural commentators like Scott Galloway, streamer Atrioc, and Ben Meiselas from Midas Touch—the episode explores the turbulent sociopolitical landscape, challenges within the Democratic Party, gender and generational dynamics, economic disillusionment, and the evolution of political communication. Newsom leans into honest, unsanitized dialogue about the future of American democracy, civic discourse, and media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Value of Risky, Unscripted Political Conversations

(Segment: 03:39–06:20)

• Charlie Kirk's Critique of Democrats in New Media:

  • Kirk contends Democrats avoid long-form, unscripted media, missing chances to genuinely connect and "duel it out" in authentic, vulnerable ways.

  • He links the podcast format to "masculinity," describing it as a test of intellectual and emotional mettle, a place with "no script, no hard breaks, no producers in the ear."

  • Memorable moment: Newsom laughs at Kirk's claim, but ultimately agrees on the need for Democrats to venture into challenging territory.

    "For the health of the country, it would be great to change, is that Democrats cannot survive in long form podcasting environments. It's too unscripted. It's too masculine, honestly."
    — Charlie Kirk (04:31)

• Blurring Culture and Politics:

  • Kirk asserts that politics and culture are now "indecipherable" and that figures like Trump have achieved a cultural status Democrats struggle to match.

    "Politics is downstream from culture. I think politics and culture are indecipherable from one another now."
    — Charlie Kirk (05:53)

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2. Surprising Policy Consensus: Steve Bannon on Taxation

(Segment: 06:20–07:35)

• Bannon Endorses Progressive Taxation:

  • In a revealing moment, Steve Bannon discusses advocating for higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy—drawing parallels to California’s progressive tax policies.

  • Newsom notes the irony and convergence between Bannon’s position and California’s approach, highlighting shifting alignments over economic fairness.

    "You're arguing for a little higher tax rate, which I appreciate, in the corporate tax side. I don't know if it's completely dissimilar [to California]. I don't want to get you in trouble."
    — Gavin Newsom to Steve Bannon (07:35)

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3. Masculinity, Youth, and the Algorithmic Age

(Segment: 08:04–10:16)

• Scott Galloway on Young Men’s Crisis:

  • Galloway details how powerful tech companies successfully replace real-world milestones (dating, working, friendship) with digital surrogates, stunting social and emotional growth.

  • He presents a startling statistic: "51% of American men 18–24 have never asked a woman out in person," noting women’s authentic reactions in-studio.

  • Galloway warns America has "fallen out of love with the unremarkable," pushing unattainable excellence rather than broad-based opportunity, resulting in a crisis for young men.

    "Young men are being targeted by the deepest pocketed, most talented organizations in the world... to give them a reasonable facsimile of life on a screen."
    — Scott Galloway (08:04)

    "Back in the 80s, America loved unremarkable people. And it feels as if America has fallen out of love with the unremarkable."
    — Scott Galloway (09:20)

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4. Economic Disillusionment and Radicalization of the Young

(Segment: 10:16–11:53)

• Atrioc on Housing and Generational Nihilism:

  • Atrioc describes how economic barriers—especially the impossibility of affording housing—fuel disillusionment and radicalization.

  • He argues the lack of a plausible path to homeownership severs young people’s societal ties and faith in the future.

    "Radicalism is when no house—if you can’t get a house, if you don’t see a path to get a house..."
    — Atrioc (10:58)

    "If once you feel like you can get on that ladder, you’re okay... But if you can’t see that, it’s, what’s the point? Why am I doing it?"
    — Atrioc (11:36)

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5. Democratic Party: Battling Perceptions, Inspiring Fight

(Segment: 11:53–14:33)

• Newsom and Ben Meiselas on Political Momentum:

  • Reflecting on the year’s dramatic events (e.g., federalizing the National Guard, ICE operations, government shutdown), Newsom and Meiselas argue that displays of moral and tactical fight have reinvigorated Democratic support.

  • Meiselas says numbers for Democrats rose only after the public saw them "fighting" rather than being passive or losing.

    "His [Trump's] conduct is conscious, shocking. And so when people wake up and they're being disappeared by ICE... living paycheck to paycheck. And people aren't acting with an urgency. They're pissed."
    — Ben Meiselas (12:31)

    "They [numbers] were low because they didn't see people fighting for them. Not because they were unpopular. They were low because they lost. And people don't like losers... That was the issue."
    — Ben Meiselas (12:52)

• Renewed Approaches: Listening and Empathy:

  • Newsom highlights the rise of new leaders—like Mamdani in New York—who practice radical listening, engage directly, and leverage media savvy. The recipe for revitalizing politics, he says, is empathy and collaboration, not just dominance.

    "It's not about power, dominance and aggression. It's about empathy. It's about compassion. It's about collaboration. Those are the superpower."
    — Gavin Newsom (14:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Democrats cannot survive in long form podcasting environments. It's too unscripted. It's too masculine, honestly."
  — Charlie Kirk (04:31)
• "I think politics and culture are indecipherable from one another now."
  — Charlie Kirk (05:53)
• "Young men are being targeted by the deepest pocketed, most talented organizations in the world."
  — Scott Galloway (08:04)
• "51% of American men aged 18–24 have never asked a woman out in person."
  — Scott Galloway (08:58)
• "Radicalism is when no house—if you can't get a house, if you don't see a path to get a house."
  — Atrioc (10:58)
• "They were low because they didn't see people fighting for them... People don't like losers."
  — Ben Meiselas (12:52)
• "It's about empathy. It's about compassion. It's about collaboration. Those are the superpower."
  — Gavin Newsom (14:44)

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 03:39 — Reflections on Charlie Kirk episode, Democrats and podcasts
• 04:31–06:20 — Debate: Democrats in long-form media, masculinity in podcasting (Charlie Kirk)
• 06:20–07:35 — Steve Bannon on raising taxes for the rich & convergence with CA policy
• 08:04–10:16 — Scott Galloway: Masculinity, algorithms, and young men’s crisis
• 10:16–11:53 — Atrioc: Housing, economic despair, and youth radicalization
• 11:53–14:33 — Democratic renewal: urgency, fight, and new leadership (Ben Meiselas)
• 14:44 — Newsom’s closing thoughts on empathy, collaboration, and future plans

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Tone & Style

Gavin Newsom is candid, reflective, and conversational throughout—open to critique and eager to foster raw, sometimes uncomfortable honesty. His guests, whether adversarial or allied, are direct and substantive, producing genuine, thought-provoking exchanges.

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Conclusion

This episode distills the most challenging, illuminating dialogues from the 2025 season of "This is Gavin Newsom." Through spirited debate and critical self-examination, Newsom and his guests grapple with the crucial issues shaping America’s present and future: political communication, economic disillusionment, masculinity, and the need for empathetic, daring leadership.

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For suggested guests or topics, listeners are encouraged to engage with the show. Subscribe for in-depth, unfiltered conversations heading into 2026.

Transcript

[Gavin Newsom]

So as we turn the page on 2025 and we move into 2026, I thought it was time to reflect a little bit on where we've been over the course of this last year. We had some remarkable guests on controversial guests from Charlie Kirk to Steve Bannon, Atrioc Galloway. So many more. Let's look back on this is Gavin Newsom.

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[Gavin Newsom]

You are likely familiar with my first guest on this podcast. It was nine months ago that I had Charlie Kirk on for an extended conversation. A lot of folks had a lot of opinions about that podcast and a lot of clips traveled far and wide. A lot of headlines about the podcast. But lost in the headlines was a conversation that I thought was really important about what the Democratic Party needs to do better, what Democrats need to do more of, particularly as it relates to long form podcasts. Getting, as Charlie said, out of these unsanitized conversations into the wild and connecting with folks in a more risky, more raw, and at times more emotional way. We pick up on this clip of that part of our conversation with this is Charlie Kirk and part of it.

[Charlie Kirk]

And credit to you for doing long form podcasting because long form podcasting does penetrate different audiences, right? And our show does very well. But part of the problem of the Democrat Party, that for the health of the country would be great to change, is that Democrats cannot survive in long form podcasting environments. It's too unscripted. It's too masculine, honestly. And the Democrat parties become what is.

[Gavin Newsom]

Masculine about a podcast, honestly? Because I get the whole manosphere that's broken.

[Charlie Kirk]

To go into the wilderness with no rules and duel it out and see who's better or who's stronger. No, seriously, I mean, like what Democrats?

[Gavin Newsom]

What?

[Charlie Kirk]

No, I mean like we don't do it.

[Gavin Newsom]

You're right. We for Whatever reason, don't do it.

[Charlie Kirk]

You can laugh, but, like, who in the Democrat Party or not?

[Gavin Newsom]

You're right, we'll go.

[Charlie Kirk]

I mean, maybe Bernie Sanders, but he.

[Gavin Newsom]

Only when he was a Democrat.

[Charlie Kirk]

Bobby, who's now hhs. But, like, there's something to be said that if you want to earn the respect of forgotten America, you have to show them that you can intellectually joust with no script, no hard breaks, no producers in the ears, no teleprompters. That's where new media is going to. Now, I will, I will only challenge one thing. You say I am reaching new audiences. I'm not talking to my, my bubble. Because our content is so appealing. It goes in a decentralized way.

[Gavin Newsom]

And it's not just political.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, it's not culture. But like, again, our conversation here is going to go far and wide, right? A lot of people are going to see it, a lot of people are going to consume it because it's also politics. Entertainment have begun to overlap.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Right?

[Charlie Kirk]

Right. And the old adage is, well, politics is downstream from culture. I think politics and culture are indecipherable from one another. Now, Donald Trump became a cultural phenomenon, right? You go, you go in to, you know, inner city Compton. You'll see guys with Trump shirts with, you know, the hand up, you know, fight, fight, fight. So what Democrats are doing is you're still playing in a very old, hypersanitized media environment. And my advice is you got to go where it's unpredictable, where it's treacherous, where it's dangerous.

[Gavin Newsom]

One of the other interesting guests we had on earlier this year was Steve Bannon, someone who's very familiar in the mega universe, very familiar to those supporters of Donald Trump. What is less familiar was Bannon, who was in the midst at the time of this conversation, in the midst of a debate with members of Congress, particularly Republican members of Congress, where he was actually arguing in favor of raising taxes on corporations and raising taxes on the 1%. In this clip, we have a conversation where I actually interject and challenged him that he was arguing for sounded a lot like California's progressive tax system. This is Steve Bannon. The idea that you were even talking about the corporate tax rate and a tax rate for the wealthiest among us and having, I mean, the fact that you're having this. We're having this dialogue about your different approach. I mean, in some ways, it's the California tax policy as it relates to more progressive tax policy that favors the working class, that we would never take anything from California. I'm challenging you on this, but you're.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Over, you're grossly overtaxed in California.

[Gavin Newsom]

We want to cut, we have, we have moderate income taxes for middle class working folks. It's the top tax rate, which you're arguing for a little higher tax rate, which I appreciate in the corporate tax side. I don't know if it's completely dissimilar. I don't want to get you in trouble. This year we had a series of conversations with thought leaders about the issue of masculinity. One of the most compelling was with Scott Galloway, who just wrote a new book, Notes on being.

[Scott Galloway]

Young men are being targeted by the deepest pocketed, most talented organizations in the world, specifically big tech. Want to give them the sense that they can have a reasonable facsimile of life on a screen with an algorithm. Why go out and try and make friends when you have Reddit and discord? Why go through the pain of putting on a tie, showing up on time, not partying during the week, and get a real job when you can trade stocks or crypto on Coinbase or Robinhood, which usually leads to disaster? Why go through the humiliation, the effort, the rejection, showering, for God's sakes, working out, having a plan, showing resilience, approaching a stranger and expressing romantic interest when you have porn. The scariest stat I've seen is that 51% of American men age 18 to 24 have never asked a woman out in person. So I think the America today, you.

[Gavin Newsom]

Know, Scott, by the way, just because I can't help it, I got two young women behind the camera, literally both shook their head when you said that.

[Scott Galloway]

Oh, really?

[Gavin Newsom]

Forgive me. I mean they literally. And now they're laughing but nervously. I mean, that's. That that was very powerful stat you just gave and it was powerful. Their response.

[Scott Galloway]

Well, look, I, I think a lot about masculinity in America and I. The reality is back in the 80s, America loved unremarkable people. And it feels as if America has fallen out of love with the unremarkable. That the objective of higher ed in America is to try and identify a super class and turn them into billionaires instead of giving the bottom 99 a chance to be millionaires and to find someone, fall in love, have kids, you know, all the profound shit, right? And I worry the young men who are especially susceptible to these algorithms are kind of losing. They've lost a lot of on ramps into the middle class and we aren't producing enough economically and emotionally viable men. And who wants more economically and Emotionally viable men, women.

[Gavin Newsom]

The issue of affordability is top of mind. I've talked a lot about this, that we need to democratize our economy to save our democracy. Just consider 10% of people own 2/3 of the wealth in the United States of America. But the impact is deeply concerning, particularly for young people. Just consider someone 30 years or younger. It's the first generation that's not doing better than their parents. And an opportunity to talk with a popular streamer who understands this intimately, who talks to folks every single day about how nihilism and radicalization is now taking shape for folks that never can imagine reaching the American dream.

[Atrioc]

This is atrion is it comes back to economics. And again, if I could boil it down to one word. It's like radicalism is when no house, if you can't get a house, if you don't see a path to get a house. And I hear this all the time. They're, they're, some of them are working, they're working decent jobs, they're working hard. It's not even, or feasible in a lot of these cities to ever get a house. You can't save up enough without taking on an absurd amount of debt ever. It's just not possible. And, and if you picked one thing to focus in on, that would be it. Because they, that's the biggest thing to put you as part of society or outside of society. If once you feel like you can get on that ladder, you're okay, you can, you can calm down, you can find a party, you can vote. But if you can't see that it's, what's the point? Why am I doing it? Why am I working this job for a boss I hate? For wages that are only okay? I'm never gonna get another step up.

[Gavin Newsom]

It goes without saying, 2025 had been a remarkable year, ending with the success of campaigns for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, the success of Proposition 50, a young, new dynamic mayor in New York City. But it didn't start out that way. The National Guard being federalized, ICE agents, masked men going out in streets all across the United States of America, Government shutdown, tariffs, trade policy, all kinds of doubt and anxiety, particularly about the future of the Democratic Party. We talked about that and so much more with Ben from Midas Touch. This is Ben Meiselas.

[Ben Meiselas]

And Trump has inflicted nationwide intentional infliction of emotional distress. His conduct is conscious, shocking. And so when people wake up and they're being disappeared by ice, when their healthcare is being ripped away, when their psychological, tortured, living paycheck to paycheck. And people aren't acting with an urgency. They're pissed. You notice the numbers of the Democratic Party are going up as they're seeing the fight. They were low because they didn't see people fighting for them. Not because they were unpopular. They were low because they lost. And people don't like losers. And also that they're fighting. That was the issue.

[Gavin Newsom]

Listen to what I hope everyone just listened to what you said. Could not agree, by the way. That's why I'm very optimistic about November. We're going to win Proposition 50. We're going to win in New Jersey, we're going to win in Virginia. You've got this young, dynamic leader, whether you agree or disagree, whatever flavor you are of, Democrat, Democratic, socialist, conservative, mod, whatever. But you've got this young, dynamic leader who ran an unbelievable campaign. Success leaves clues. Talk about media savvy and a communication capacity. That's next level. I mean, that guy's. I mean, at another level in terms of ability to communicate, you know, look, look.

[Ben Meiselas]

Look where the crowds are. Look who people. Look, this is how I describe it. And it's funny because I got you here. I said that there's, you know, on the one hand, you have Governor Newsom energizing people, fighting back, using moral authority and formal authority. Then I said, look at Mamdani drawing massive crowds. Aoc. Drawing massive crowds, Bernie. Massive crowds in red states of Trump supporters also. And so we should look at it, by the way, what Mamdani did before he even launched the campaign, right after the election, it may have been right when he launched it. Was he interviewed, he was listening. He did a video right away, after the election, speaking to people in the boroughs and saying, why'd you do that? And he got the answer. That was very, I think, influential in his, you know, in his race.

[Gavin Newsom]

I was thinking, as you were describing, your approach to building Midas Touch and now the network, that was his approach to building the campaign?

[Ben Meiselas]

Yeah.

[Gavin Newsom]

Ask people what they want, ask them how they're feeling, see them, listen to them. I mean, I thought that that was a masterclass of common sense, really, at the end of the day. But it's now. It's, you know, it's a next generation media savvy as well. And I hope, again, back to your point, just the capacity for us. We've just got to disabuse ourselves of the ways of the past. We've got to completely shift gears in terms of now dominating there, flooding the zone, but also becoming the party that is empathetic. It's not about power, dominance and aggression. It's about empathy. It's about compassion. It's about collaboration. Those are the superp. So there you have it. Some of the highlights of 2025, certainly in a eventful year here at this is Gavin Newsom. But if you have ideas for guests for subjects that we should be covering here on the show, please send them our way and subscribe to this is Gavin Newsom.

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And the talent is unreal.

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