And, This is Escape From Alcatraz

Summary

Podcast Summary: "And, This is Escape From Alcatraz"

Podcast Information

• Title: This is Gavin Newsom
• Host: Gavin Newsom
• Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Description: Gavin Newsom initiates honest and open conversations with both supporters and critics, addressing pressing issues with respect and without dehumanization. The podcast aims to foster meaningful debates and invite listeners across the nation to engage in these vital discussions.
• Episode: And, This is Escape From Alcatraz
• Release Date: May 8, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "And, This is Escape From Alcatraz," Governor Gavin Newsom delves into a critical analysis of current political distractions and their impact on the American socio-economic landscape. The episode primarily addresses Donald Trump's recent claims about reopening Alcatraz Island, positioning it as a strategic distraction from more significant issues affecting the nation.

Main Discussion: Alcatraz as a Political Distraction

[02:56 - 10:38]
Governor Newsom begins by expressing gratitude for the numerous voicemails and messages he received regarding the topic of Alcatraz, highlighting the absurdity and timing of the proposition to reopen the historic prison. He emphasizes that this move serves as a diversion from more pressing economic concerns, particularly the impact of tariffs on small businesses and the broader economy.

Key Points:

• Alcatraz's Historical Significance:
  Newsom underscores the iconic status of Alcatraz, housing notorious figures like Al Capone and Whitey Bulger, yet points out its current state as a dilapidated and non-operational facility.

  "Alcatraz has a capacity of about 330, 336 cells... It's corroded... It would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make it operational again." [04:13]

• Economic Implications:
  The governor criticizes the high costs associated with reopening Alcatraz, mentioning the Park Service's revenue of $60 million annually from tourism and the potential negative impact on tourism if funds are diverted to restore the old prison.

  "This would cost tens of millions of dollars... It’s completely unnecessary." [04:13]

• Strategic Distraction Tactics:
  Newsom argues that Trump's focus on reopening Alcatraz is a deliberate tactic to distract the public from critical issues like tariffs, economic instability, and the uncertainty faced by small businesses.

  "Donald Trump... gets us all talking about something so that we're not talking about something else." [04:13]

• Impact on Daily Lives:
  He highlights how tariffs are affecting everyday Americans, from disrupted supply chains impacting school supplies to potential shortages of Christmas toys, thereby stressing the real economic hardships faced by citizens.

  "What may happen to your school supplies because they're not coming into the ports of entry... What may happen as it relates to your Christmas toys that may not be on the shelves later in the year." [04:13]

• Response and Public Perception:
  Newsom shares his personal reaction to the voicemail from Kara Cherbony of San Luis Obispo, appreciating the humor and awareness of the distraction tactic. He contrasts his informal response with Trump's approach, emphasizing the irrationality of the latter's focus.

  "This is distraction day in the United States of America. Don't worry about it. Don't panic." [04:13]

Insights and Analysis

Governor Newsom provides a nuanced critique of Trump's political maneuvers, portraying them as shortsighted and detrimental to long-term economic stability. He calls for a refocusing of national attention towards substantive issues that have a tangible impact on citizens' lives.

Notable Insights:

• Historical Context and Futility:
  By referencing the 1962 closure of Alcatraz and its historical redundancy, Newsom illustrates the futility of Trump's proposal, suggesting it lacks both practical and symbolic necessity.

  "There's no water, there's no operating sewer system... It's a dilapidated old prison designed in the 1930s." [04:13]

• Economic Prioritization:
  The governor emphasizes the importance of prioritizing economic policies that ensure stability and growth over politically motivated distractions. He warns that diverting resources to symbolic projects can undermine critical sectors like tourism and small businesses.

  "Focus on what really matters, what's essential." [04:13]

• Public Communication and Leadership:
  Newsom critiques Trump's communication strategy, suggesting it thrives on chaos and distraction rather than clear, purposeful leadership. He advocates for transparency and addressing real issues head-on to build trust and confidence among the populace.

  "We've got to focus on what really matters, what's essential." [04:13]

Conclusion

Governor Gavin Newsom concludes the episode by reiterating the necessity to prioritize substantial economic and social issues over superficial distractions like the proposed reopening of Alcatraz. He calls on listeners to remain focused on the challenges that directly impact their lives and urges political leaders to engage in meaningful actions rather than attention-seeking maneuvers.

"Don't do this to San Francisco and California and don't do this to tourism... You're going to be on that island as a tourist for decades and decades to come." [04:13]

Through this episode, Newsom effectively highlights the importance of discerning genuine issues from political distractions, advocating for a collective effort to address and resolve the critical challenges facing the nation.

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Notable Quotes

1. Gavin Newsom on Trump's Distractions:

   "Donald Trump... gets us all talking about something so that we're not talking about something else." [04:13]

2. On Economic Impact:

   "What may happen to your school supplies because they're not coming into the ports of entry... What may happen as it relates to your Christmas toys that may not be on the shelves later in the year." [04:13]

3. On Prioritizing Essential Issues:

   "We've got to focus on what really matters, what's essential." [04:13]

4. On Public Assurance:

   "Don't worry about it. Don't panic." [04:13]

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Conclusion

Released on May 8, 2025, "And, This is Escape From Alcatraz" serves as a compelling commentary on political strategy and its ramifications on economic stability. Gavin Newsom leverages this platform to dissect the symbolic gestures of political figures, urging listeners to remain informed and focused on issues that genuinely affect their lives.

Transcript

[Gavin Newsom]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

[Khloe Kardashian]

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[Gavin Newsom]

Today I found out I was related to the guy that I was dating.

[Khloe Kardashian]

I don't feel emotions correctly.

[Gavin Newsom]

I collect my roommate's toenails and fingernails.

[Therapy Gecko]

Those were some callers from my call in Podcast Therapy Gecko. It's a show where I take phone calls from anonymous strangers as a fake Gecko Gecko therapist and try to learn a little bit about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's very interesting. Check it out for yourself by searching for Therapy gecko on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chelsea Handler]

This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler. Connie Britton is here. I think you should encourage your friend to go ahead and not be holding out for any man to have her babies. She could be waiting another 10 years before she finds the right guy. Connie didn't meet her right guy until you were what, 50, Connie?

[Connie Britton]

52. 52. 52. I kept thinking, oh, I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I finally was like, what am I waiting for? And I did it. And I'm just so glad that I did.

[Chelsea Handler]

Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jay Shetty]

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. And I'm excited for my next episode with Khloe Kardashian.

[Connie Britton]

God, I've been through so many point. I would rather not feel than feel because feeling is too much for me to handle.

[Khloe Kardashian]

I am Khloe Kardashian.

[Gavin Newsom]

Khloe Kardashian, everybody. Khloe Kardash. No one understands how it's. I'm not just a TV show.

[Jay Shetty]

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Speaker]

I want you to ask yourself Right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ask ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month and on the psychology of your 20s. And we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep.

[Gavin Newsom]

I spent the majority of my teenage.

[Connie Britton]

Years and my twenties just feeling absolutely terrified. I had a panic attack on a conference call. Knowing that she had six months to live. I was no longer pretending that this was my best friend.

[Unknown Speaker]

So this mental health awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your well being. Listen to the psychology of your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gavin Newsom]

This is Gavin Newsom and this is Escape from Alcatraz. Well, I want to thank everybody for, for leaving voice messages, calling into the show. And one of the things that lit up the voicemail line this week was Alcatraz. Yes, the rock. Escape from Alcatraz. Here we are. I can't even make. You cannot make this up. Here we are at the moment, this critical moment in American history, and here we are with a brand new distraction, Distraction day in the United States of America. And so as a former mayor, it's not surprising, and yes, governor of the state of California, that those calls made their way to the inbox.

[Connie Britton]

Hi, my name is Kara Cherbony. I am a resident of San Luis Obispo, California. Lived in California my whole life. I wanted to find out if our governor is going to react to Trump's claims to wanting to reopen Alcatraz. Am I? At this point, a lot of these were just like, what? But I don't know, left field with so much crap, it's ridiculous. Okay, so, yeah, response please. That would be amazing. Thank you so much.

[Gavin Newsom]

First of all, I love, I love the question. I love the way you phrase the question. I love the way you laughed when you left that voicemail. Because I think that's how all of us, I mean, the overwhelming majority of us responded to this. I responded quite formally, by the way, with a tweet that said this was just simply distraction day in Washington, D.C. it wasn't just reopening Alcatraz as a federal prison, but he also asked and called for, asked the Commerce Department and called for new tariffs on foreign made films. So this is what Donald Trump does. He doesn't care if he's the heel or the hero, as long as he's the star. And we're talking about him. And this is why it's so Important that we sort of distill the essence of what Trump is actually communicating and what he's actually doing that has a real impact in our lives. So everybody's chasing this. It's totally understandable. I totally appreciate the question. And here I am responding to it because, heck, you know, I'm a fifth generation San Francisco former mayor of San Francisco. So what would you expect? How could I not respond to this? I think I, by the way, may have commented to one reporter that it proposal has the form and substance of fog. Meaning there is quite literally no there, there. I'll remind you, speaking of no there, there, there's no water, there's no operating sewer system. What is there is a dilapidated old prison that Design in the 1930s, 1933, that Bobby Kennedy, not Junior Bobby Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General, United states announced in 1962 that he was going to shut down and did eventually shut down in 1963. But I think Donald Trump's mindset is maybe 1983. I'm making that up. But when the Rock came out and when Escape from Alcatraz, sort of iconic movies and there's sort of an indelible, a sense a place that is attached to Alcatraz, it's evocative. Al Capone was there, Whitey Bulger was there, Machine Gun Kelly was there, but not many other people were there. I think it has a capacity of about 330, 336 cells. Anyone that's visited and I've been there on multiple occasions, I imagine many people watching and listening have as well. It's, it's corroded. You have all that salt water intrusion, you've got a place that would quite literally. Doge, are you listening? Quite literally cost hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, would be the most expensive federal prison in the system. It's completely unnecessary. And again, it's all intended to be a distraction. So we're focused on this and candidly not focused on the real issue, which are these tariffs and the impact that's having in wrecking on our economy and how it's impacting small businesses and that's impacting each and every one of you watching and listening in more ways on more days than anything else that Donald Trump is currently doing. And so that's why I think he did this. And I'll just close on this. Don't do this to San Francisco and California and don't do this to tourism. And it's one of the drivers of tourism in the United States. Million plus people I think it's 1.2 million last year came to Alcatraz and the island. I think the Park Service that runs it generates $60 million a year in revenue. Back to my Doge point, this would cost tens of millions of dollars. You have to bring people onto the island, the workforce and everything else. He specifically directed his Department of Justice and, and he directed Secretary Burgum to start to put together a plan of action on this. I mean, I pray that they're focused on other things and not focused on the folly of this latest distraction. This is about zigging and zagging. In a couple of weeks will be a couple days, maybe a couple hours, maybe today, maybe as I speak, there is something out there that I'm not looking at. That's the next day's distraction. And this is what Donald Trump does better than anybody else, gets us all talking about something so that we're not talking about something else. And so the critical thing, from my humble perspective, is we've got to focus on what really matters, what's essential. And again, the issue right now for Donald Trump, that is hurting him more than any other issue. And there's a lot. And I'm not trying to stack up any sort of. Well, I'm not trying to diminish the other issues, but it's the tariffs, the economy, your 401ks, what's happening in the markets, what's not happening as it relates to imports, and what's not happening as it relates to the kind of certainty that people need and small businesses need in order to make decisions. What may happen to your school supplies because they're not coming into the ports of entry? What may happen, my gosh, if it's just a few more months of these tariffs, particularly to China, what may happen as it relates to your Christmas toys that may not be on the shelves later in the year. And Donald Trump is under deep pressure on that issue. So I would expect to continue to try to relieve some of that pressure and that, that focus by bringing more of this nonsense to bear and getting us all to chase these stories. And I'll just close. Yeah, we had to chase it. I mean, my phone lit up with reporters, people calling me saying, is this real? Can this be true? What are your thoughts on it? Can you stop it? And the fact that there were real reporters in real concern, frankly, concerns me more than anything else. Form and substance of fog, there's no there, there focus on something else. By the way, the number of calls that I received, the number of voicemails and text messages from reputable reporters all across the country, from around the world, from other elected officials saying, help. What are we going to do? Can we stop this? And I told everybody, you got it. You cannot. I mean, you got to be kidding me. This is going nowhere. This is distraction day in the United States of America. Everybody. Don't worry about it. Don't panic. You're going to be on that island as a tourist for decades and decades to come.

[Khloe Kardashian]

Some matches are temporary, but your privacy shouldn't be. With line two, you get a second phone line just for dating. No need to share your personal number. Until you're ready, you can chat, text, and even block numbers, all while keeping things fun and private. It's perfect for online dating. Blind dates, or just keeping things light. When you're ready to move on, line two lets you cut ties without any drama. Dating should be fun and carefree. Line two keeps it that way. Ready to date on Your terms? Visit line2.comaudio or download line2 in the app Store today.

[Jay Shetty]

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. And I'm excited for my next episode with Khloe Kardashian.

[Connie Britton]

God, I've been through so many things that at this point, I would rather not feel than feel, because feeling is too much for me to handle.

[Khloe Kardashian]

I am Khloe Kardashian.

[Gavin Newsom]

Khloe Kardashian, everybody. Khloe Kardashian. No one understands how I'm not just a TV show.

[Jay Shetty]

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chelsea Handler]

This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler. Connie Britton is here. I think you should encourage your friend to go ahead and not be holding out for any man to have her babies. She could be waiting another 10 years before she finds the right guy. Connie didn't meet her right guy until you were what, 50? 50, Connie?

[Connie Britton]

52. 52. 52. I kept thinking, oh, I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I finally was like, what am I waiting for? And I did it. And I'm just so glad that I did.

[Chelsea Handler]

Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gavin Newsom]

I found out that was related to the guy that I was dating.

[Khloe Kardashian]

I don't feel emotions correctly.

[Gavin Newsom]

I collect my roommates, toenails and fingernails.

[Therapy Gecko]

Those were some callers from my call in Podcast Therapy Gecko. It's a show where I take phone calls from anonymous strangers as a fake gecko therapist and try to learn a little bit about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's very interesting. Check it out for yourself by searching for Therapy gecko on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Speaker]

I want you to ask yourself right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month and on the psychology of your 20s, we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep.

[Gavin Newsom]

I spent the majority of my teenage.

[Connie Britton]

Years and my twenties just feeling absolutely terrified. I had a panic attack on a conference call. Knowing that she had six months to live. I was no longer pretending that this was my best friend.

[Unknown Speaker]

So this Mental Health Awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your well, well being. Listen to the psychology of your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gavin Newsom]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.