August 7, 2025 • 9 mins
The Governor responds to listener questions on California's proposed redistricting and what Trump's war on the Bureau of Labor Statistics means for our democracy.
To have your own questions answered, email the show at ThisisGavinNewsom@iheartradio.com or leave a voicemail at 855-6NEWSOM
IG: @ThisisGavinNewsom
Substack: Gavinnewsom
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
This is Gavin Newsom, and these are your questions.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You and New York Governor Kathy Hochel have been considering
redistricting in your blue states in order to pick up
seats in the twenty twenty six midterms because of what's
been happening in Texas. Have you spoken to Governor Hokele
and is there a national plan for redistricting that the
DNC has been a part of.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Well, I appreciate the question. It is the existential question
of our time. What do I mean by that? If
Donald Trumpe wants to rig the system, he wants to
change the game because he can't win the game by
playing by the traditional rules, period full stop. He made
a phone call, just like he made a phone call
in Georgia after he lost the election, after he tried
to destroy our democracy lighted on fire after January sixth
(00:57):
as he tried to steal the election, and he asked
for twelve thousand votes from the Secretary of State in Georgia.
He is now asking governors like Greg Abbott who are complicit.
He knew Greg Abbot would say yes, sir, and what
more can I do for you? Says I need five
seats in fact he said on National TV this week.
He said he's entitled to five seats because he won
(01:22):
the election by such a large margin in Texas that
they're now his seats. Make no votes about it. This
is next distential moment as it relates to the core
principles of our founding fathers. They are trying to change
the rules because they cannot win by the traditional rules
(01:42):
and the traditional game. Donald Trump knows who will lose
the election and into facto, his presidency ends in eighteen months.
Sure he'll be fire and fury and he'll be playing
on true's social but will finally have a speaker. Jeffries.
We will finally have a system that the founding fathers
design of checks and balances and oversight. And he knows
(02:04):
that it's over in less than eighteen months. So if
we want to allow that to happen, I guess California,
New York, Gady Hoko and other state governors can roll
over and act holler than now and say, well, we
really believe in independent redistrict and we're against quote unquote
jerrymandering these districts, which is another fancy way of saying
(02:25):
picking our voters as opposed to voters picking them by
changing the maps of who can vote and where they
can vote. And in California, we choose to do the opposite.
We choose to fight fire with fire. We choose to
stand up. We choose to support the principles of our
founding fathers. We choose to support you, all of you,
so you're can have a voice and choice going forward.
(02:48):
Donald Trump is trying to deconstruct America. It's a serious moment.
In all of the distractions, nothing is more important than this.
He's trying to rig the games how elections are done
mid census, and so California is going to step up.
They're talking about five seats in Texas. We will take
(03:11):
those five seats in California. We have an independent redistricting
commission that should be a national model. I support a
national model for independent redistricting. I'm not for Jerry mannering
in blue states anymore than I am for red states.
But this is a new moment in American history. The
facts are new. He's rigging the game. So we have
to fight fire with fire, and that's what we choose
(03:32):
to do in California, and I hope other governors do
the same. Blue state governors. They're going to export this
as well. We just heard JD. Vance is being sent
by Donald Trump into Indiana to get them to rig
the Indiana ballot. Same thing in Florida with DeSantis. But California,
we punch above our weight. Remember with size of twenty
one state populations combined. So we can do the five seats,
(03:56):
and we could take other seats that are very competitive.
There are us up and through the gerrymannering process that
is well established in these red states, we can make
those easier districts for a Democratic party. This should not
be the model for the country, but it's the new reality.
And so as a consequence, we have to act anew
(04:18):
and we have to, as Lincoln said, disenthrall ourselves with
the way things have been done in the past. And
so we're asking the legislature will require two thirds of
our legislature put this on the ballot. We're hoping it
gets on the ballot on the November fourth election. We're
going to do it in a transparent way by putting
the maps on the ballot, so the voters will know
(04:41):
what they're doing, and we'll do it for a temporary
period of time for the twenty six, twenty eight, and
thirty ballots congressional ballots only. We'll keep our independent redistrict
and commission and we'll revert back to our original form
once this threat has passed, and will do so only
if triggered by the actions in Texas. They drew first blood.
(05:06):
We will fight fire with fire. We will preserve and
protect our democracy and all that is at stake in
this country. And we're going to punch this bully right
back in the mouth, and we're going to save our democracy.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
After last week's job report, President Trump said he thought
the numbers were wrong. After that, Trump fired the head
of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. How concerned should
we be that the president is firing people who report
information he doesn't like. And shouldn't the business community be
standing up against this?
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Well, the Business meeting should certainly be standing up. But
let's also put this in perspective. The economy is slowing down.
The impact of Donald Trump's tariffs taxes on American consumers
is starting be felt. We're not creating the jobs like
we created during the Biden administration. It's Trump's policies that
(06:07):
have slowed the growth and as a consequence, now a
lot of folks are concerned that not only is unemployment rising,
but we're seeing price pressures once again, inflation starting to
creep back up, and the word stagflation is coming back
in to the conversation. So that's number one. And as
a consequence of that, Donald Trump now wants to kill
(06:29):
the messenger, wants to fire the person that puts this
information together with a team of people in a nonpartisan,
a political way, and that should scare the hell out
of everybody. That's what authoritarian regimes do. It's about truth
and trust. The coin of the realm is trust. And
the one institution that the world has long looked to
(06:53):
for trust is the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's foundational
from a global perspective, not just from an American perspective,
and it is completely consistent. And this is why it's
so alarming that Donald Trump is going after what he
refers to as the deep state, which are competent bureaucrats.
(07:17):
Politicians come and go, but there are people that maintain,
through competency and character, the distinction of being professionals that
outlived administrations or outlive administrations. And what Donald Trump is
doing is politicizing every single position. He's eliminated oversight by
(07:38):
eliminating inspector generals. He's eliminating auditing functions so that there
are no recourse for actions he takes. He's got immunity
printed by the Supreme Court in terms of any actions
he possibly could take. These are all all signs of
interiorating democracy. But this perhaps is the most alarming of
(08:00):
all the actions so far by the Trump administration because
this is about, as Tom Freeman wrote today in The
New York Times, the deconstruction of the American system. And
he will put in a crony. He will put in
someone that by definition now people can't trust, and that
(08:21):
foundation of trust is all we have. So this is
code read. This is another reason we all need to
step up and share our voice. This is another reason
we all need to stay focused and not get distracted
by the latest true social or tweet or whatever today's
(08:43):
headline is, and continue to focus on the essential nature
of the architecture that holds up this system. That's why
redistricting and all the conversations that are being had are
on Texas and what states like California can do to
counter that are so important. Making sure that architecture of
truth and trust is maintained, and we call out Donald
(09:07):
Trump's tyrannical well forgive me authoritarian tendencies. If you want
your questions answered, reach us at This is Gavin Newsom
at iHeartRadio dot com, or leave a voicemail at eight
five five six Newsome
This is Gavin Newsom, and these are your questions.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You and New York Governor Kathy Hochel have been considering
redistricting in your blue states in order to pick up
seats in the twenty twenty six midterms because of what's
been happening in Texas. Have you spoken to Governor Hokele
and is there a national plan for redistricting that the
DNC has been a part of.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Well, I appreciate the question. It is the existential question
of our time. What do I mean by that? If
Donald Trumpe wants to rig the system, he wants to
change the game because he can't win the game by
playing by the traditional rules, period full stop. He made
a phone call, just like he made a phone call
in Georgia after he lost the election, after he tried
to destroy our democracy lighted on fire after January sixth
(00:57):
as he tried to steal the election, and he asked
for twelve thousand votes from the Secretary of State in Georgia.
He is now asking governors like Greg Abbott who are complicit.
He knew Greg Abbot would say yes, sir, and what
more can I do for you? Says I need five
seats in fact he said on National TV this week.
He said he's entitled to five seats because he won
(01:22):
the election by such a large margin in Texas that
they're now his seats. Make no votes about it. This
is next distential moment as it relates to the core
principles of our founding fathers. They are trying to change
the rules because they cannot win by the traditional rules
(01:42):
and the traditional game. Donald Trump knows who will lose
the election and into facto, his presidency ends in eighteen months.
Sure he'll be fire and fury and he'll be playing
on true's social but will finally have a speaker. Jeffries.
We will finally have a system that the founding fathers
design of checks and balances and oversight. And he knows
(02:04):
that it's over in less than eighteen months. So if
we want to allow that to happen, I guess California,
New York, Gady Hoko and other state governors can roll
over and act holler than now and say, well, we
really believe in independent redistrict and we're against quote unquote
jerrymandering these districts, which is another fancy way of saying
(02:25):
picking our voters as opposed to voters picking them by
changing the maps of who can vote and where they
can vote. And in California, we choose to do the opposite.
We choose to fight fire with fire. We choose to
stand up. We choose to support the principles of our
founding fathers. We choose to support you, all of you,
so you're can have a voice and choice going forward.
(02:48):
Donald Trump is trying to deconstruct America. It's a serious moment.
In all of the distractions, nothing is more important than this.
He's trying to rig the games how elections are done
mid census, and so California is going to step up.
They're talking about five seats in Texas. We will take
(03:11):
those five seats in California. We have an independent redistricting
commission that should be a national model. I support a
national model for independent redistricting. I'm not for Jerry mannering
in blue states anymore than I am for red states.
But this is a new moment in American history. The
facts are new. He's rigging the game. So we have
to fight fire with fire, and that's what we choose
(03:32):
to do in California, and I hope other governors do
the same. Blue state governors. They're going to export this
as well. We just heard JD. Vance is being sent
by Donald Trump into Indiana to get them to rig
the Indiana ballot. Same thing in Florida with DeSantis. But California,
we punch above our weight. Remember with size of twenty
one state populations combined. So we can do the five seats,
(03:56):
and we could take other seats that are very competitive.
There are us up and through the gerrymannering process that
is well established in these red states, we can make
those easier districts for a Democratic party. This should not
be the model for the country, but it's the new reality.
And so as a consequence, we have to act anew
(04:18):
and we have to, as Lincoln said, disenthrall ourselves with
the way things have been done in the past. And
so we're asking the legislature will require two thirds of
our legislature put this on the ballot. We're hoping it
gets on the ballot on the November fourth election. We're
going to do it in a transparent way by putting
the maps on the ballot, so the voters will know
(04:41):
what they're doing, and we'll do it for a temporary
period of time for the twenty six, twenty eight, and
thirty ballots congressional ballots only. We'll keep our independent redistrict
and commission and we'll revert back to our original form
once this threat has passed, and will do so only
if triggered by the actions in Texas. They drew first blood.
(05:06):
We will fight fire with fire. We will preserve and
protect our democracy and all that is at stake in
this country. And we're going to punch this bully right
back in the mouth, and we're going to save our democracy.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
After last week's job report, President Trump said he thought
the numbers were wrong. After that, Trump fired the head
of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. How concerned should
we be that the president is firing people who report
information he doesn't like. And shouldn't the business community be
standing up against this?
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Well, the Business meeting should certainly be standing up. But
let's also put this in perspective. The economy is slowing down.
The impact of Donald Trump's tariffs taxes on American consumers
is starting be felt. We're not creating the jobs like
we created during the Biden administration. It's Trump's policies that
(06:07):
have slowed the growth and as a consequence, now a
lot of folks are concerned that not only is unemployment rising,
but we're seeing price pressures once again, inflation starting to
creep back up, and the word stagflation is coming back
in to the conversation. So that's number one. And as
a consequence of that, Donald Trump now wants to kill
(06:29):
the messenger, wants to fire the person that puts this
information together with a team of people in a nonpartisan,
a political way, and that should scare the hell out
of everybody. That's what authoritarian regimes do. It's about truth
and trust. The coin of the realm is trust. And
the one institution that the world has long looked to
(06:53):
for trust is the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's foundational
from a global perspective, not just from an American perspective,
and it is completely consistent. And this is why it's
so alarming that Donald Trump is going after what he
refers to as the deep state, which are competent bureaucrats.
(07:17):
Politicians come and go, but there are people that maintain,
through competency and character, the distinction of being professionals that
outlived administrations or outlive administrations. And what Donald Trump is
doing is politicizing every single position. He's eliminated oversight by
(07:38):
eliminating inspector generals. He's eliminating auditing functions so that there
are no recourse for actions he takes. He's got immunity
printed by the Supreme Court in terms of any actions
he possibly could take. These are all all signs of
interiorating democracy. But this perhaps is the most alarming of
(08:00):
all the actions so far by the Trump administration because
this is about, as Tom Freeman wrote today in The
New York Times, the deconstruction of the American system. And
he will put in a crony. He will put in
someone that by definition now people can't trust, and that
(08:21):
foundation of trust is all we have. So this is
code read. This is another reason we all need to
step up and share our voice. This is another reason
we all need to stay focused and not get distracted
by the latest true social or tweet or whatever today's
(08:43):
headline is, and continue to focus on the essential nature
of the architecture that holds up this system. That's why
redistricting and all the conversations that are being had are
on Texas and what states like California can do to
counter that are so important. Making sure that architecture of
truth and trust is maintained, and we call out Donald
(09:07):
Trump's tyrannical well forgive me authoritarian tendencies. If you want
your questions answered, reach us at This is Gavin Newsom
at iHeartRadio dot com, or leave a voicemail at eight
five five six Newsome
Host
Gavin Newsom
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!