October 14, 2024 • 23 mins
From a blind date to the White House, Doug Emhoff is talking about his unprecedented role as the first Second Gentleman.
He put his own career on hold and made the position meaningful to him. Plus, what he really thinks of Andy Samberg's SNL impression and why he regrets letting Kamala talk him into wearing that hat.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Man, what's hand him?
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Man?
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You got Marshaan Bismall Lynch, Doug.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Hendrickson and Gavin Newsome and you're listening to politics.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You're to be, you're known to be.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hey, Marshawn and Doug. You know we got up next.
We got another Doug.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Doug. How many Dougs are out there?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
There's not many dogs?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
What dog do? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We got the second gentleman. I'm just telling you there's
never been a second gentleman in history. The man who's
making history but is about to make real history is
the first, the only first gentleman the United States of America.
Doug Ama, Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Governor, what's going on? Buddy? Happy belady? Birthday? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
No?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well, happy birthday? Is this? I think today's your official birthday? Right?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Want to talk about the age? It's too much man?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Uh well, Doug, you're my name second. Thankful I don't
hear him anywhere dougs anymore. So thank god you're a
Doug because I am any new young Dougs.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I feel like we should have met somewhere along the way.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
By the way, Are there is that a trend? Is
there not?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Is the second gentleman? Are you inspiring? Legions of parents.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
To name their sons, Doug, have you seen any evidence
of that?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I meet so few and that when I do, it's
literally like, hey man, we got to stick together us
dougs because there's so few of us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
There's that you're feeling a little insecure. There is no dougs.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I don't need dougs anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
My god?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
All right, Doug, I got one. I got the real question.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The tough question is it, you know, Martin Short or
Andy Samberg? Which one tell the truth? I don't need
any politician I want. I want an honest response.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You know, it's interesting that Martin Short, who's way older
and shorter, but like like he actually got me. It
was almost like me. Samberg gets good. It's funny, it's
it's not quite me, but some of the lines are
are pretty good. And that he's got the hair down.
And uh, but I know what Dancy's doing. He's like
(02:03):
doing this and it's saying that's the Dougie.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I'm like, come on, man, when when do you remember,
I mean, the first time you were on SNL.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Come on that that had to be that. That had
to be a lot of fun again.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Call from all your friends, everybody opining how many years
ago was that?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
That was?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Martin Short did the first first one.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Right, that was I think early on in the in
the term. But you know, this is a show I've
watched my literally my whole life. It came out and
fifty years ago, so I was ten, and this was
something we all stayed up for and watched and throughout
the week we would literally repeat all the all the
things that we'd seen on the show that week, all
the iconic skits from way back when, and then so
(02:45):
this is an iconic show. And then to see yourself
on it, Yeah, the group chats, blow up on that
kind of stuff. And now with Sammer coming in, you know,
it's it's one of many surreal things that I've experienced
in this role.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
But my root offh is really good and she's really
like upped her game, you know her well, Gavin, like
she came back this time. It's like, wow, she's she's
so on it. So that is she's done a really
good job.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And do you guys, I mean, you don't sit around
and watch this stuff. You don't have any time.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't want to see her, right now. No, we
are like in separate places. Most of the time. We
are only focused on the selection. The only thing we
talk about right now is how we can win and
what do we need to do to make sure that
we win the selection. That's it. Not a lot of
happy couple time right now. It's just focused determination and
(03:45):
if anything is like where are you? Where are you? Okay?
When am I going to see you? And then we
just try to keep up a little bit and a
little bit of you know, a couple discussion, talk about kids,
maybe her grand nieces, and then it's just really, what
do we got to do? What are you hearing out
there there? I'm all over the country, So I'll just
give her notes from the field, and then we just
try to use that to get the word out.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I love you of a badass woman. So people my
clients used to tell me, said, Doug, let me get
this straight. Your wife's the CPA, your wife's an attorney,
and your wife makes more money than you. I said,
yes she does, and I'm very happy about it. So
I love the fact of what she's done and what
you've done. And it's a cool thing because it's something
(04:27):
to be applauded in my opinion, and as Marshawn knows,
he'd rather call my wife than call me for advice.
So we all know where the smarter people lie, and
that's your wife and my wife.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
And I would say the governor's wife too.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I was gonna say go Mary well too. I know
Jennifer is amazing. So it's to me it's like an
old school thing to support your wife. I mean, I'm
ferocially protective of my family, my wife, my kids are big,
blended family, and this is just a part of that.
I love being an entertainment lawyer. Was good at it,
(05:00):
I was successful. I miss it. But when we're there
for each other. So when she had this opportunity to
get on the Biden Harris ticket, it was a no
brainer to support her to be vice president, first woman
vice president. And it's also been fulfilling to do this.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I mean, what you guys have been together has been
over a decade now, right, twenty thirteen when you had
that blind date.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, our ten wedding anniversary was the night of her
DNC speech August twenty second, so that was ten years
of marriage. We met a couple years before that. So
when I met her Gavin. She was just in her
first term as Attorney General, and you know, I knew her.
I was a lawyer, so I knew her as our
attorney general, and she had a pretty incredible reputation as
(05:49):
a fearsome prosecutor and attorney general. So I got set
up on a blind date during a client meeting. The
client happened to be best friends with Kamala Harrers. And
by the end of that meeting, I had Kamala Harris's number,
and I told the story at the DNC. But that's
basically what happened, and ten twelve years later here I am.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, Doug, did you know right away?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
As fuck?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Was funny when I met my wife. I met her
at some party in San Francisco and I'm like, who
is this girl? I thought she's from Sweden, some model
from Sweden. I just showed up at this party and
I go up and talk to her and she's like,
where'd you go to school? I said, santrans Estate and
she's like, oh, you guys lost to Kentucky in the
tournament a couple of years before. I said, oh my god.
And then I'm like I'm done. So within thirty seconds,
(06:46):
I'm all in. I'm like, I met my wife, called
my mom. I said, I met the new one, and
she's like, who, And I said, I don't know. All
I got is her first name. I know nothing about her,
but I'm all in. And I then pursued a little
bit and there I am. So did you know right
away that she was the one from that first time?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, this was definitely that love at first sight for
those old enough to watch the Brady Bunch, you know
those Bobby Brady fireworks going off in the background. This
was like And we talked on the phone for an
hour before the first date, but I picked her up
and it just felt like we had been together and
we're going to be together. And by the end of
that first night, we were literally already talking about the
(07:25):
future and all that stuff. So yeah, and we've literally
been together ever since that first date. And that's why
it's been tough these last couple of months. But we're
so used to being together all the time and not
being around each other that much. But again, there's too
much at stake to worry about that stuff now, and
(07:45):
we'll after the election, we'll have time for that, we'll
worry about.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you I mean ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Seriously, can you ever, I know, can you ever have
imagined being in the position yard now? But were there
even did you guys even have early conversations twenty fourteen,
fifteen sixteen that ever even seeded the possibility that you'd
be in the position the two of you that you
are right now.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
No, when we when we first met, like I said,
she was focused on being attorney general. She was talking
about running again for reelection, which she did, and I
don't think it was on a posed. And I said, wow,
politics is so easy. I didn't remember you had an election.
And then when the Senate seat came up, you know,
she went for that, and that was you know, I
was still working full time. I was in and out.
(08:30):
I did a few events here and there, but basically
I was not that involved. And that was you know,
it was a decision that she made, and it was
something that you know, got me to d C and
I started coming in to DC Moore professionally. And I
think it was the rise of Trump when she decided
to run for president in nineteen it's because of Trump,
(08:53):
and she and many other dams decided, hey, we got
to put our name out there. Somebody's got to be
this guy, and it turned out it was her and
Joe Biden who did it, and now it's going to
be her and Tim Wallace to do it again. But no, Gavin,
I you knew me a little bit back then. I
was a happy lawyer. It was it was kind of
fun to be around politics, but I was every time
(09:15):
you and I talked, it was Hey, I'm talking about
my legal practice and that's it. So this was something
really until she got on the vice presidential ticket where
I was thrown into this full time. When I, you know,
quote unquote got into politics, and was.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
There did you have an option of not? Did you always?
I mean, was it?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I know there's no there's no rulebook for second gentlemen
that didn't come with the gig because it's unprecedented in history.
But was there any prospect where you were going to
continue to work or you knew when she got sworn
in as VP that conflicts and all those issues. You
got to commit yourself full time to public service in
this role.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So I didn't. When she got on the ticket, I
didn't realize that that was my last day work ever
as as a lawyer, which I did not know that
at the time. I think once during the transition period
after they won the election and before the inauguration, I
think for those reasons you stated conflicts and just this
(10:13):
is a real gig being second gentleman to support her,
but really supporting the administration. Especially. We knew during COVID
we all had to get out there to help people
get vaccinated, and there was so much work to do.
That really was a full time job from the get go.
But I didn't realize that at the time when she
got that call from Biden, that that was it. That
(10:35):
was the last time I do what I love so much.
So it was at the beginning it was a tough transition.
I was really struggling to figure out the role. And
she's the one who said, look, you are the first
Jew ever they jump into the anti semitism fight. You're
the first guy ever there's gender equity issues, and of
(10:56):
course after the DABS decision that became even more so.
And then as a lawyer, you know, we need more
lawyers doing more pro bono, so I jumped into that
as well. So a lot of this was her pushing
me to say, hey, look, you got this amazing platform,
use it. And then I think the administration saw that
I could handle myself, so I would sound like the
(11:17):
sixth man off the bench where I just raised my hand,
and I traveled the world. I did inaugurations, I led
presidential delegations and did all kinds of things I never
dreamed I would do in this role. And then I
teach part time at Georgetown Law School.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Hey, Doug, did you trademark second gentlemen? Because obviously we
know BSMO here trademark bistmo if I can know six
did we trademark that? Or is it too late to
trademark that?
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Well, let's see, let me put my business lawyer right more.
Sean can't. I can't give legal advice anymore. Sorry, public services.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
But Doug, what I mean just I think you know
it goes back to what this Doug was saying earlier,
and in this this sort of you know, the being
a little bit. You know, you're as second gentleman, this idea,
you know, because Kamalus so omnipresent, powerful, prolific, successful, and
you had that kind of success, as you said, for
(12:14):
decades as an entertainment lawyer yourself to step back, I
imagine's not hasn't been easy or is it still difficult
I remember? Or now you just you're finding the role
sort of hand and glove and you're figuring it out.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
But has it been Was there any friction?
Speaker 3 (12:30):
There was there any issues around your own identity, your
own self worth and relationship to someone of her statue.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Now, I guess one of the things that attracted us
to each other was like a merger of equals. Like
even when I met her, we really looked at each
other as as equals, and we supported each other and
you know, grew our careers together. And again when she
had this unique opportunity to be vice president of the
United States, I had to put that aside because it
(13:01):
was more important because of our equal partnership to support her.
And yes, at the beginning, it wasn't about being any
less of a man or anything like that. It was
just because I stopped doing something that I loved so much.
I was at the top of my game. I just
even talking to you about sports and what you do,
Doug and Marshawn and all these things. And I know, Gavin,
(13:23):
you're interested in this. You know I miss it. I
definitely miss it, but again I follow it. I get
to teach it. But An, it's a great trade off
because look what I get to do. I get to
support her as vice president, hopefully as president, and then
I get so much fulfillment in the role substantively. And
(13:43):
I've gotten to travel the country, travel the world in
a way I never would have been able to do otherwise.
So you known, any kind of feelings I had was
just about missing what I was doing, not you know,
feeling bitter or angry or salty with her anything for
oh you took me away from this, It's not not
that at all.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Well, Doug, once we do win, we can then do
some boondoggles on Air Force one. We can grab more
Sean from the movie sets, and we can go and
do some great trips Toga.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
National Fantasy Football Draft Day we're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, what, Doug, You've been doing fantasy football for what
I mean, for as long as we've been a lot
with thirty years or something.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Night so nineteen eight. This league started when I was
a UFC law school in nineteen eighty nine. It's basically
the same, the same crew. Now most of us have
our one or both of our kids involved. So my
son Coles, now thirty, has been my partner for nine
or ten years, and it's the smack talk. The group
(14:43):
chat is off is always good, but now that I'm
in this position, you know, it's just the abuse comes
in all the time. But it's a great way to
stay in touch with my friends and a great way
to stay in touch with Cole because of course, last night,
you know, we have kid on. I mean, I'm just
texting him Kiddle second touchdown and we're just like following
our team, and it's bonds us as father and son,
(15:07):
and it bonds me to this group of people I've
known since the eighties and it's just really fun and
it's a great diversion from what's going on in my
life right now. So even now last night, I'm like, Okay,
that's great. Did you put the picks in for Sunday
to make sure that we are competing?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Well, Doug, you'll love this.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
So my twelve year old son again addicted to fantasy football.
I mean, he plays this thing left and right. So
a couple sundays ago, my client Rashi Rice gets hurt
in the game and so during the game, nobody knows
how hurt us. So he's now trying to facilitrate a
trade with his buddies, and I'm like, no, no, he's going.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
To be out for the year. You can't trade him.
That's like inside Information's.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Like insider training. There's no insider training in fantasy.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But they're not going to know.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
I said, well, I know, Kenyon, but like it's kind
of do you really want to do that to your friends,
Like you know, I know he's probably gonna be out
for the year. He's like, well, they won't. It's not
out in public yet, so I'm gonna still trade him.
So we traded him to his buddy because ESPN said
he might be a week to week thing, and I
knew it was probably to be longer, but he still
traded him and his buddy got mad him a couple
of days later.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
But although it's so funny, so last I was in
the finals last season, and I only won this thing
once and in year two thousand, so one time twenty
four years ago, you know, just long suffering owner in
this league. So last year we had a great team.
We made it to the finals, and I tried to
get the other team to tank, and my offer was
we will do this year's draft at the White House
(16:42):
if you do tank and let me win this trophy.
And of course the draft was not at the White
House because they did not tank. It was more important
to kick my butt in fantasy and that's what happened.
So there's a couldn't even couldn't even sweat them with that.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
By the way, did you did you guys have any
sway did you pick Marshawn back in the day in
your fantasy football?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He always went to Yeah, he always went too high,
and I don't I looked. I don't think I ever
had him. And I was always hiss that I didn't
have him because I was watching him. So I went
to USC. So he was always like, why is that
guy so good for cal Man? Why? Why did he
not come to s C Marshaw Why and uh one
(17:24):
of the carol Man That's why. No, I never I looked.
I wish he was always so good.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
What do you mean he always had? Now I got
I'm curious. Why what what do you mean, Pete Carroll,
that's your guy? Come on?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah? But no, not in not in college. I don't
think I was. I don't think I was ready for him.
They was having too much fun over there yeah, well,
see I rooted if they weren't playing one of my teams.
I was always rotten for for coach Carol. It's funny
how a lot of sc people you see out there.
Look at Sam Darnold, you know, on the Viking right now.
(18:00):
So look, I root for all the Trojans and coaches,
except if they're playing my team.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
That is so Doug, You're you're you and you and
the VP or massive sports fans. So if there's if
it's one day in the week and there's an NBA game,
a football game, a baseball game, what do you guys watching.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Well, she loves her Warriors. So if she's around, and
if it's if it's for her, it's NBA over right,
like she and she loves her Warriors, man, And so
the Laker Warrior thing is real. The Giant Dodger thing
is real.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
That's next level real. And by the way, that's an
issue for you, Doug.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
One time, Gavin, I was there's this one like stock
photo of me. We went to a giant game and
like she's like put this hat on, and it was
a giant hat, And of course that became the Doug
and Kamala picture and every time that thing comes up,
I'm like, cheat that thing down, and it's all my
LA friends.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Like, by the way, oh, I imagine you've never gotten
her in a Dodger hat, have you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I mean because that at that end of the campaign.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Hell no, No, it's so funny. And it's not just her,
it's her whole family. So it's got you know, her
extended family is now, you know, texting all the time
if it's any l a Bay Area matchup. But you know,
the Rams got them. The Rams got him a couple
of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That was That was Doug was she has heard as
Marshawn was when they left Oakland.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's a shame that happened.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
How to press some buttons, don't you.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Know she's a daughter of Oakland and she she's was
born there in Oakland, And yeah, I mean, look, you
had you had a city that had had iconic franchises,
you know they don't. So it's uh, it's not great.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Hey, Doug, I know, our time short. But you know,
with with everything, that is the sort of essential why
and that is what's going on in the next few
weeks and what all us need to be doing so
that we don't dream of regretting on election day.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I mean, how you're.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Out there, you're hearing from people directly. What is I
mean in order to really close whatever gaps may be remaining?
Though the Vice president's looking in a really strong position.
But as we say, polls don't vote, People vote. What
can we be doing? What do you recommend folks that
are listening in what they can do in the next
(20:26):
few weeks to make sure she's successful?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Right, we got twenty something days left, so this is it.
This is the time to act. So first of all,
it's close. It shouldn't be this close, but it is.
And people need to not get distracted. And you kind
of see through this haze that Trump has put out
there of gaslighting, misinformation, disinformation, and you didn't do a
(20:49):
good job the first time. He's going to be worse
this time. It's going to be dangerous for people. People's
lives will not be better, they'll be much worse. Let alone,
who gets to pick the next Supreme Court justices, all
the things that will impact people's lives, like Kalma is
going to be so much better on So we just
need to make sure people are actually paying attention to
(21:09):
who they both are. That split screen on the debate,
you know, set it all. Kama's been out there each
and every day on you know, full blown media blitz
for if anyone wants to know more about her, there's
lots of ways to learn more about her and her
record and what she stands for and what she fights for.
Which is which is you? But right now it's it's
(21:29):
on the ground. It's a ground game. We're competing in
all seven swing states and it's literally tied or just
about tied. Who wanted up a little bit, but that's it.
So people need to understand it's in their hands in
these particular states. So I was in Georgia yesterday, I
was in Arizona a couple of days before that. I'm
in Pennsylvania tomorrow. So we're going right to the locals
(21:52):
where these folks have the opportunity to decide who will
be the next president and what kind of world and
what kind of country the rest of us are going
to live in. So that's how we are all spending
the remainder of our time, going to where we need
to win and just making sure people understand what that
binary choice is. And Gavin I know you've been out there,
(22:13):
you're feeling the excitement. And it's intergenerational too. I'm seeing
you know, the grandparents, the parents and the grandkids all
fired up about her and coming out. So we had
to turn that enthusiasm into registration and early voting and
make sure people are canvassing, knocking on those doors, sending
out those messages so we can have a future that
(22:35):
we can all live in and it's not all this
chaos and drama that we knew what it was like before,
and we can have a world that you know, we
can move forward it and that's what it's all about.
Right now, twenty something days left to do this, and.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I'm looking forward.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I'm getting back out I think in four states the
next six days for you guys, and I agree with you.
It's daylight and darkness, chaos versus competency, right versus wrong,
everything at stake. And so look, Doug, I appreciate everything
you've done. You've done such a great job as second gentleman,
but you're about to make history as first gentleman in
(23:12):
the United States and we're looking forward to watching that
history get made.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Thank you all, Gavin, Doug Marshaun thanks a lot, great podcast,
this was great. I'm going you have a new listener too,
So thank you all and let's get this done. I'll
see on the other side. Take care of you, Doug,
take care of our dog. Appreciate you man. Everybody
Man, what's hand him?
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Man?
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You got Marshaan Bismall Lynch, Doug.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Hendrickson and Gavin Newsome and you're listening to politics.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You're to be, you're known to be.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hey, Marshawn and Doug. You know we got up next.
We got another Doug.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Doug. How many Dougs are out there?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
There's not many dogs?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
What dog do? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We got the second gentleman. I'm just telling you there's
never been a second gentleman in history. The man who's
making history but is about to make real history is
the first, the only first gentleman the United States of America.
Doug Ama, Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Governor, what's going on? Buddy? Happy belady? Birthday? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
No?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well, happy birthday? Is this? I think today's your official birthday? Right?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Want to talk about the age? It's too much man?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Uh well, Doug, you're my name second. Thankful I don't
hear him anywhere dougs anymore. So thank god you're a
Doug because I am any new young Dougs.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I feel like we should have met somewhere along the way.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
By the way, Are there is that a trend? Is
there not?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Is the second gentleman? Are you inspiring? Legions of parents.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
To name their sons, Doug, have you seen any evidence
of that?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I meet so few and that when I do, it's
literally like, hey man, we got to stick together us
dougs because there's so few of us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
There's that you're feeling a little insecure. There is no dougs.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I don't need dougs anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
My god?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
All right, Doug, I got one. I got the real question.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The tough question is it, you know, Martin Short or
Andy Samberg? Which one tell the truth? I don't need
any politician I want. I want an honest response.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You know, it's interesting that Martin Short, who's way older
and shorter, but like like he actually got me. It
was almost like me. Samberg gets good. It's funny, it's
it's not quite me, but some of the lines are
are pretty good. And that he's got the hair down.
And uh, but I know what Dancy's doing. He's like
(02:03):
doing this and it's saying that's the Dougie.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I'm like, come on, man, when when do you remember,
I mean, the first time you were on SNL.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Come on that that had to be that. That had
to be a lot of fun again.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Call from all your friends, everybody opining how many years
ago was that?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
That was?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Martin Short did the first first one.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Right, that was I think early on in the in
the term. But you know, this is a show I've
watched my literally my whole life. It came out and
fifty years ago, so I was ten, and this was
something we all stayed up for and watched and throughout
the week we would literally repeat all the all the
things that we'd seen on the show that week, all
the iconic skits from way back when, and then so
(02:45):
this is an iconic show. And then to see yourself
on it, Yeah, the group chats, blow up on that
kind of stuff. And now with Sammer coming in, you know,
it's it's one of many surreal things that I've experienced
in this role.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
But my root offh is really good and she's really
like upped her game, you know her well, Gavin, like
she came back this time. It's like, wow, she's she's
so on it. So that is she's done a really
good job.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And do you guys, I mean, you don't sit around
and watch this stuff. You don't have any time.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't want to see her, right now. No, we
are like in separate places. Most of the time. We
are only focused on the selection. The only thing we
talk about right now is how we can win and
what do we need to do to make sure that
we win the selection. That's it. Not a lot of
happy couple time right now. It's just focused determination and
(03:45):
if anything is like where are you? Where are you? Okay?
When am I going to see you? And then we
just try to keep up a little bit and a
little bit of you know, a couple discussion, talk about kids,
maybe her grand nieces, and then it's just really, what
do we got to do? What are you hearing out
there there? I'm all over the country, So I'll just
give her notes from the field, and then we just
try to use that to get the word out.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I love you of a badass woman. So people my
clients used to tell me, said, Doug, let me get
this straight. Your wife's the CPA, your wife's an attorney,
and your wife makes more money than you. I said,
yes she does, and I'm very happy about it. So
I love the fact of what she's done and what
you've done. And it's a cool thing because it's something
(04:27):
to be applauded in my opinion, and as Marshawn knows,
he'd rather call my wife than call me for advice.
So we all know where the smarter people lie, and
that's your wife and my wife.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
And I would say the governor's wife too.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I was gonna say go Mary well too. I know
Jennifer is amazing. So it's to me it's like an
old school thing to support your wife. I mean, I'm
ferocially protective of my family, my wife, my kids are big,
blended family, and this is just a part of that.
I love being an entertainment lawyer. Was good at it,
(05:00):
I was successful. I miss it. But when we're there
for each other. So when she had this opportunity to
get on the Biden Harris ticket, it was a no
brainer to support her to be vice president, first woman
vice president. And it's also been fulfilling to do this.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I mean, what you guys have been together has been
over a decade now, right, twenty thirteen when you had
that blind date.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, our ten wedding anniversary was the night of her
DNC speech August twenty second, so that was ten years
of marriage. We met a couple years before that. So
when I met her Gavin. She was just in her
first term as Attorney General, and you know, I knew her.
I was a lawyer, so I knew her as our
attorney general, and she had a pretty incredible reputation as
(05:49):
a fearsome prosecutor and attorney general. So I got set
up on a blind date during a client meeting. The
client happened to be best friends with Kamala Harrers. And
by the end of that meeting, I had Kamala Harris's number,
and I told the story at the DNC. But that's
basically what happened, and ten twelve years later here I am.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, Doug, did you know right away?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
As fuck?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Was funny when I met my wife. I met her
at some party in San Francisco and I'm like, who
is this girl? I thought she's from Sweden, some model
from Sweden. I just showed up at this party and
I go up and talk to her and she's like,
where'd you go to school? I said, santrans Estate and
she's like, oh, you guys lost to Kentucky in the
tournament a couple of years before. I said, oh my god.
And then I'm like I'm done. So within thirty seconds,
(06:46):
I'm all in. I'm like, I met my wife, called
my mom. I said, I met the new one, and
she's like, who, And I said, I don't know. All
I got is her first name. I know nothing about her,
but I'm all in. And I then pursued a little
bit and there I am. So did you know right
away that she was the one from that first time?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, this was definitely that love at first sight for
those old enough to watch the Brady Bunch, you know
those Bobby Brady fireworks going off in the background. This
was like And we talked on the phone for an
hour before the first date, but I picked her up
and it just felt like we had been together and
we're going to be together. And by the end of
that first night, we were literally already talking about the
(07:25):
future and all that stuff. So yeah, and we've literally
been together ever since that first date. And that's why
it's been tough these last couple of months. But we're
so used to being together all the time and not
being around each other that much. But again, there's too
much at stake to worry about that stuff now, and
(07:45):
we'll after the election, we'll have time for that, we'll
worry about.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you I mean ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Seriously, can you ever, I know, can you ever have
imagined being in the position yard now? But were there
even did you guys even have early conversations twenty fourteen,
fifteen sixteen that ever even seeded the possibility that you'd
be in the position the two of you that you
are right now.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
No, when we when we first met, like I said,
she was focused on being attorney general. She was talking
about running again for reelection, which she did, and I
don't think it was on a posed. And I said, wow,
politics is so easy. I didn't remember you had an election.
And then when the Senate seat came up, you know,
she went for that, and that was you know, I
was still working full time. I was in and out.
(08:30):
I did a few events here and there, but basically
I was not that involved. And that was you know,
it was a decision that she made, and it was
something that you know, got me to d C and
I started coming in to DC Moore professionally. And I
think it was the rise of Trump when she decided
to run for president in nineteen it's because of Trump,
(08:53):
and she and many other dams decided, hey, we got
to put our name out there. Somebody's got to be
this guy, and it turned out it was her and
Joe Biden who did it, and now it's going to
be her and Tim Wallace to do it again. But no, Gavin,
I you knew me a little bit back then. I
was a happy lawyer. It was it was kind of
fun to be around politics, but I was every time
(09:15):
you and I talked, it was Hey, I'm talking about
my legal practice and that's it. So this was something
really until she got on the vice presidential ticket where
I was thrown into this full time. When I, you know,
quote unquote got into politics, and was.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
There did you have an option of not? Did you always?
I mean, was it?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I know there's no there's no rulebook for second gentlemen
that didn't come with the gig because it's unprecedented in history.
But was there any prospect where you were going to
continue to work or you knew when she got sworn
in as VP that conflicts and all those issues. You
got to commit yourself full time to public service in
this role.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So I didn't. When she got on the ticket, I
didn't realize that that was my last day work ever
as as a lawyer, which I did not know that
at the time. I think once during the transition period
after they won the election and before the inauguration, I
think for those reasons you stated conflicts and just this
(10:13):
is a real gig being second gentleman to support her,
but really supporting the administration. Especially. We knew during COVID
we all had to get out there to help people
get vaccinated, and there was so much work to do.
That really was a full time job from the get go.
But I didn't realize that at the time when she
got that call from Biden, that that was it. That
(10:35):
was the last time I do what I love so much.
So it was at the beginning it was a tough transition.
I was really struggling to figure out the role. And
she's the one who said, look, you are the first
Jew ever they jump into the anti semitism fight. You're
the first guy ever there's gender equity issues, and of
(10:56):
course after the DABS decision that became even more so.
And then as a lawyer, you know, we need more
lawyers doing more pro bono, so I jumped into that
as well. So a lot of this was her pushing
me to say, hey, look, you got this amazing platform,
use it. And then I think the administration saw that
I could handle myself, so I would sound like the
(11:17):
sixth man off the bench where I just raised my hand,
and I traveled the world. I did inaugurations, I led
presidential delegations and did all kinds of things I never
dreamed I would do in this role. And then I
teach part time at Georgetown Law School.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Hey, Doug, did you trademark second gentlemen? Because obviously we
know BSMO here trademark bistmo if I can know six
did we trademark that? Or is it too late to
trademark that?
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Well, let's see, let me put my business lawyer right more.
Sean can't. I can't give legal advice anymore. Sorry, public services.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
But Doug, what I mean just I think you know
it goes back to what this Doug was saying earlier,
and in this this sort of you know, the being
a little bit. You know, you're as second gentleman, this idea,
you know, because Kamalus so omnipresent, powerful, prolific, successful, and
you had that kind of success, as you said, for
(12:14):
decades as an entertainment lawyer yourself to step back, I
imagine's not hasn't been easy or is it still difficult
I remember? Or now you just you're finding the role
sort of hand and glove and you're figuring it out.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
But has it been Was there any friction?
Speaker 3 (12:30):
There was there any issues around your own identity, your
own self worth and relationship to someone of her statue.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Now, I guess one of the things that attracted us
to each other was like a merger of equals. Like
even when I met her, we really looked at each
other as as equals, and we supported each other and
you know, grew our careers together. And again when she
had this unique opportunity to be vice president of the
United States, I had to put that aside because it
(13:01):
was more important because of our equal partnership to support her.
And yes, at the beginning, it wasn't about being any
less of a man or anything like that. It was
just because I stopped doing something that I loved so much.
I was at the top of my game. I just
even talking to you about sports and what you do,
Doug and Marshawn and all these things. And I know, Gavin,
(13:23):
you're interested in this. You know I miss it. I
definitely miss it, but again I follow it. I get
to teach it. But An, it's a great trade off
because look what I get to do. I get to
support her as vice president, hopefully as president, and then
I get so much fulfillment in the role substantively. And
(13:43):
I've gotten to travel the country, travel the world in
a way I never would have been able to do otherwise.
So you known, any kind of feelings I had was
just about missing what I was doing, not you know,
feeling bitter or angry or salty with her anything for
oh you took me away from this, It's not not
that at all.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Well, Doug, once we do win, we can then do
some boondoggles on Air Force one. We can grab more
Sean from the movie sets, and we can go and
do some great trips Toga.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
National Fantasy Football Draft Day we're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, what, Doug, You've been doing fantasy football for what
I mean, for as long as we've been a lot
with thirty years or something.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Night so nineteen eight. This league started when I was
a UFC law school in nineteen eighty nine. It's basically
the same, the same crew. Now most of us have
our one or both of our kids involved. So my
son Coles, now thirty, has been my partner for nine
or ten years, and it's the smack talk. The group
(14:43):
chat is off is always good, but now that I'm
in this position, you know, it's just the abuse comes
in all the time. But it's a great way to
stay in touch with my friends and a great way
to stay in touch with Cole because of course, last night,
you know, we have kid on. I mean, I'm just
texting him Kiddle second touchdown and we're just like following
our team, and it's bonds us as father and son,
(15:07):
and it bonds me to this group of people I've
known since the eighties and it's just really fun and
it's a great diversion from what's going on in my
life right now. So even now last night, I'm like, Okay,
that's great. Did you put the picks in for Sunday
to make sure that we are competing?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Well, Doug, you'll love this.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
So my twelve year old son again addicted to fantasy football.
I mean, he plays this thing left and right. So
a couple sundays ago, my client Rashi Rice gets hurt
in the game and so during the game, nobody knows
how hurt us. So he's now trying to facilitrate a
trade with his buddies, and I'm like, no, no, he's going.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
To be out for the year. You can't trade him.
That's like inside Information's.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Like insider training. There's no insider training in fantasy.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But they're not going to know.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
I said, well, I know, Kenyon, but like it's kind
of do you really want to do that to your friends,
Like you know, I know he's probably gonna be out
for the year. He's like, well, they won't. It's not
out in public yet, so I'm gonna still trade him.
So we traded him to his buddy because ESPN said
he might be a week to week thing, and I
knew it was probably to be longer, but he still
traded him and his buddy got mad him a couple
of days later.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
But although it's so funny, so last I was in
the finals last season, and I only won this thing
once and in year two thousand, so one time twenty
four years ago, you know, just long suffering owner in
this league. So last year we had a great team.
We made it to the finals, and I tried to
get the other team to tank, and my offer was
we will do this year's draft at the White House
(16:42):
if you do tank and let me win this trophy.
And of course the draft was not at the White
House because they did not tank. It was more important
to kick my butt in fantasy and that's what happened.
So there's a couldn't even couldn't even sweat them with that.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
By the way, did you did you guys have any
sway did you pick Marshawn back in the day in
your fantasy football?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He always went to Yeah, he always went too high,
and I don't I looked. I don't think I ever
had him. And I was always hiss that I didn't
have him because I was watching him. So I went
to USC. So he was always like, why is that
guy so good for cal Man? Why? Why did he
not come to s C Marshaw Why and uh one
(17:24):
of the carol Man That's why. No, I never I looked.
I wish he was always so good.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
What do you mean he always had? Now I got
I'm curious. Why what what do you mean, Pete Carroll,
that's your guy? Come on?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah? But no, not in not in college. I don't
think I was. I don't think I was ready for him.
They was having too much fun over there yeah, well,
see I rooted if they weren't playing one of my teams.
I was always rotten for for coach Carol. It's funny
how a lot of sc people you see out there.
Look at Sam Darnold, you know, on the Viking right now.
(18:00):
So look, I root for all the Trojans and coaches,
except if they're playing my team.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
That is so Doug, You're you're you and you and
the VP or massive sports fans. So if there's if
it's one day in the week and there's an NBA game,
a football game, a baseball game, what do you guys watching.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Well, she loves her Warriors. So if she's around, and
if it's if it's for her, it's NBA over right,
like she and she loves her Warriors, man, And so
the Laker Warrior thing is real. The Giant Dodger thing
is real.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
That's next level real. And by the way, that's an
issue for you, Doug.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
One time, Gavin, I was there's this one like stock
photo of me. We went to a giant game and
like she's like put this hat on, and it was
a giant hat, And of course that became the Doug
and Kamala picture and every time that thing comes up,
I'm like, cheat that thing down, and it's all my
LA friends.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Like, by the way, oh, I imagine you've never gotten
her in a Dodger hat, have you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I mean because that at that end of the campaign.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Hell no, No, it's so funny. And it's not just her,
it's her whole family. So it's got you know, her
extended family is now, you know, texting all the time
if it's any l a Bay Area matchup. But you know,
the Rams got them. The Rams got him a couple
of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That was That was Doug was she has heard as
Marshawn was when they left Oakland.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's a shame that happened.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
How to press some buttons, don't you.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Know she's a daughter of Oakland and she she's was
born there in Oakland, And yeah, I mean, look, you
had you had a city that had had iconic franchises,
you know they don't. So it's uh, it's not great.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Hey, Doug, I know, our time short. But you know,
with with everything, that is the sort of essential why
and that is what's going on in the next few
weeks and what all us need to be doing so
that we don't dream of regretting on election day.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I mean, how you're.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Out there, you're hearing from people directly. What is I
mean in order to really close whatever gaps may be remaining?
Though the Vice president's looking in a really strong position.
But as we say, polls don't vote, People vote. What
can we be doing? What do you recommend folks that
are listening in what they can do in the next
(20:26):
few weeks to make sure she's successful?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Right, we got twenty something days left, so this is it.
This is the time to act. So first of all,
it's close. It shouldn't be this close, but it is.
And people need to not get distracted. And you kind
of see through this haze that Trump has put out
there of gaslighting, misinformation, disinformation, and you didn't do a
(20:49):
good job the first time. He's going to be worse
this time. It's going to be dangerous for people. People's
lives will not be better, they'll be much worse. Let alone,
who gets to pick the next Supreme Court justices, all
the things that will impact people's lives, like Kalma is
going to be so much better on So we just
need to make sure people are actually paying attention to
(21:09):
who they both are. That split screen on the debate,
you know, set it all. Kama's been out there each
and every day on you know, full blown media blitz
for if anyone wants to know more about her, there's
lots of ways to learn more about her and her
record and what she stands for and what she fights for.
Which is which is you? But right now it's it's
(21:29):
on the ground. It's a ground game. We're competing in
all seven swing states and it's literally tied or just
about tied. Who wanted up a little bit, but that's it.
So people need to understand it's in their hands in
these particular states. So I was in Georgia yesterday, I
was in Arizona a couple of days before that. I'm
in Pennsylvania tomorrow. So we're going right to the locals
(21:52):
where these folks have the opportunity to decide who will
be the next president and what kind of world and
what kind of country the rest of us are going
to live in. So that's how we are all spending
the remainder of our time, going to where we need
to win and just making sure people understand what that
binary choice is. And Gavin I know you've been out there,
(22:13):
you're feeling the excitement. And it's intergenerational too. I'm seeing
you know, the grandparents, the parents and the grandkids all
fired up about her and coming out. So we had
to turn that enthusiasm into registration and early voting and
make sure people are canvassing, knocking on those doors, sending
out those messages so we can have a future that
(22:35):
we can all live in and it's not all this
chaos and drama that we knew what it was like before,
and we can have a world that you know, we
can move forward it and that's what it's all about.
Right now, twenty something days left to do this, and.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I'm looking forward.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I'm getting back out I think in four states the
next six days for you guys, and I agree with you.
It's daylight and darkness, chaos versus competency, right versus wrong,
everything at stake. And so look, Doug, I appreciate everything
you've done. You've done such a great job as second gentleman,
but you're about to make history as first gentleman in
(23:12):
the United States and we're looking forward to watching that
history get made.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Thank you all, Gavin, Doug Marshaun thanks a lot, great podcast,
this was great. I'm going you have a new listener too,
So thank you all and let's get this done. I'll
see on the other side. Take care of you, Doug,
take care of our dog. Appreciate you man. Everybody
Hosts And Creators
Gavin Newsom
Marshawn Lynch
Doug Hendrickson
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