Governor Newsom Exclusive MeidasTouch Interview

I just had one of the most powerful and important conversations of my career. I spoke with California Governor Gavin Newsom this week and it could not have come at a more urgent time.

The markets were in freefall when we spoke—and continue to collapse. Make no mistake: this is a self-inflicted recession—and the blame lies squarely at the feet of Donald Trump.

Governor Newsom didn’t sugarcoat it. As he put it, this isn’t just about California, even though California’s economy is bigger than most countries. It’s about global stability, truth, trust, and America’s very reputation. And that’s all being shattered by a reckless former reality TV host who somehow wormed his way back into the Oval Office.

Trump’s tariffs, more extreme than the ones that helped trigger the Great Depression, were imposed using a formula no one understands, including (let’s be real) Trump himself. They even include tariffs on an island inhabited only by penguins and one with just a U.S. military base. Yes, you read that correctly. This is not just economic vandalism. It’s clownish, dangerous, and unserious. And yet here we are.

I asked Newsom how we fight back. His answer was clear: we use both formal and moral authority. As governor, he’s already led the way—launching lawsuits, mobilizing his state’s vast economic power, and pushing back in ways that matter. But he also issued a call to action for every single one of us—to speak out, to organize, to unify across our differences, and to refuse to normalize this chaos.

We talked about the farmers in California’s Central Valley—some of whom voted for Trump—who are now getting crushed by his senseless trade war. We exposed one of Trump’s latest stunts: draining a reservoir and pretending it helped Southern California with wildfires, even though it was nowhere near the fires and ended up harming farmers instead. He blew $2.2 billion just to make a misleading social media post. It’s propaganda with a price tag, and everyday people are footing the bill.

We also talked about Governor Newsom’s new podcast. I made it abundantly clear where I stand on his decision to have on far-right extremists like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. I expressed how strongly I disagreed with him, and I conveyed the concerns of this community—because I know you would expect nothing less.

And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything (and who isn’t), Newsom had a message for you too: You’re already winning, because you’re still here. You’re still showing up. You haven’t given in to cynicism, and that’s powerful. But now, we’ve got to dig deeper. Speak louder. Push harder. Because the stakes couldn’t be higher.

We’re in the majority. We have the truth on our side. And we have each other. But none of that means anything if we stay silent.

Let’s keep this momentum going into the weekend. Join now as a paid subscriber if you haven’t yet.