California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to fight against the policies of the Trump administration and engage in discussions about race in America. A recent appearance on a popular podcast gave Newsom a chance to challenge the anti-Black motivations he says have driven a number of conservative positions in recent years.
Newsom calls out racism of ‘anti-woke’ agenda
“All this anti-woke stuff is just anti-Black. Period. Full stop,” Newsom said during a recent podcast appearance on All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. The California governor criticized various talking points that Republicans have used. “All the CRT, ESG, DEI stuff, that’s all this is. It’s this great purge, and it’s happening in real time.” Newsom referenced a series of right-wing campaigns against critical race theory, an advanced academic critique of racial structures that conservatives falsely claimed was being widely taught in grade school; environmental, social and governance, a move toward corporate responsibility that has been condemned on the right; and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which have been attacked by conservatives and the Trump administration.
‘We’re not doing enough’ to call out right-wing agenda
During the interview, Newsom called out the U.S. Supreme Court for likely gearing up to gut the 1965 Voting Rights Act. “You got the Supreme Court talking about getting rid of the Voting Rights Act. And that’s very real, that may likely happen in just a matter of months.” He also called out GOP efforts to whitewash U.S. history. “They’re rewriting history, censoring historical facts,” Newsom said. ‘Luckily, I’m governor,” Newsom said, “but we’re not doing enough. We’re not calling this out, we’re not drawing a line here. And again, it’s not about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about who we are. Right and goddamn wrong. Daylight and darkness.”
Newsom pushes California redistricting, pushback against right-wing agenda
Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, has emerged as one of the leading voices in the Democratic Party against the Trump administration. Newsom has pushed back against the deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles, including suing the Trump administration over the use of the military for law enforcement purposes. Newsom has also been presiding over California’s reparations process, signing some of the state’s reparations legislation into law while vetoing other measures. And he has led the Democratic response to Republican states’ partisan redistricting by pushing a measure to redistrict California to add more Democratic congressional seats. Newsom promoted Proposition 50, the California redistricting measure, while on the All the Smoke podcast. Arguing that Republicans “aren’t f**king around” and that Democrats “have to get our s**t together,” Newsom presented the redistricting effort as an example of Democrats showing strength.
With the Trump administration continuing to push its “anti-woke” agenda and several states enacting or exploring redistricting in the run-up to elections in 2026 and 2028, the next few years are shaping up to be a test of each party’s strength. In that context, Newsom has placed himself as a leading figure among Democrats, and his blunt remarks about race and politics are the latest example of the California governor’s attempts to advance the Democratic Party and oppose the GOP agenda.