And, This Is A Final Election Day Push With Aaron Parnas
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Summary
Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom joins me to talk about why he s running for re-election and why he thinks it s a good idea. And we talk about how important it is to get out and vote on Nov. 6.
Transcript
00:00:04.080
On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.
00:00:08.740
I'm Dr. Priyanka Wally, a double board certified physician.
00:00:11.920
And I'm Hari Kondabolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled,
00:00:15.160
do I have scurvy at 3 a.m. And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way,
00:00:22.780
In the United States, I mean, 50 percent of Americans are pre-diabetic.
00:00:31.440
Listen to Health Stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:00:37.880
The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day.
00:00:48.320
Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut.
00:00:54.220
This is a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line.
00:01:01.840
Listen to The Big Take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the iHeartRadio app,
00:01:06.580
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:01:08.960
Hey, I'm Cal Penn, and on my new podcast, Here We Go Again, we'll take today's trends and headlines and ask,
00:01:19.260
Each week, I'm calling up my friends like Bill Nye, Lilly Singh, and Pete Buttigieg
00:01:23.780
to talk about everything from the space race to movie remakes to psychedelics.
00:01:30.860
Look, the world can seem pretty scary right now, but my goal here is for you to listen and feel a little better about the future.
00:01:38.840
Listen and subscribe to Here We Go Again with Cal Penn on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:01:45.280
The murder of an 18-year-old girl in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved for years
00:01:55.080
until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.
00:02:04.560
Bad things happen to good people in small towns.
00:02:09.280
Listen to Graves County on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:02:20.520
And to binge the entire season ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.
00:02:29.820
You might know me as that guy from Twin Peaks, Sex and the City, or just the internet stand.
00:02:34.500
I have a new podcast called What Are We Even Doing, where I embark on a noble quest to understand the brilliant chaos of youth culture.
00:02:44.960
Each week, I invite someone fascinating to join me to talk about navigating this high-speed rollercoaster we call reality.
00:02:52.420
Join me and my delightful guests every Thursday, and let's get weird together in a good way.
00:02:57.240
Listen to What Are We Even Doing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:03:05.180
I'm super excited today, folks, to be joined by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
00:03:09.120
Governor, great to be here. Important day, Prop 50, Election Day.
00:03:13.000
What are you seeing right now across your state?
00:03:15.320
Just unbelievable energy, and the turnout already has been extraordinary.
00:03:20.160
What I mean by that is Election Day has been going on for weeks and weeks,
00:03:24.360
and it ends at 8 o'clock tonight, and we've just seen a remarkable number of ballots that have already been dropped off,
00:03:31.500
and drop boxes have been sent in mail in the registrar's office.
00:03:35.300
So this is going to be—we think it's going to be a big, big night.
00:03:38.560
It's going to be a big, big statement about not only who we are in California,
00:03:43.420
but a statement about who we are across the United States,
00:03:45.820
since this has really galvanized folks from all 50 states in a way that I never began with and never fully could have imagined.
00:03:55.020
Well, I mean, I guess I got to ask you, Prop 50, what's Democratic turnout like?
00:03:59.560
I mean, are you seeing enough right now in early voting trends?
00:04:04.800
Yeah, look, I mean, you don't want to ever say that.
00:04:09.860
But also, you know, it's not just feelings, not just intellectual.
00:04:13.920
I mean, we've really stress-tested this, and we've kicked the tires.
00:04:20.800
And so we're looking at every angle where, you know, if we see a good poll, we're like,
00:04:27.000
And, you know, so we've really, you know, we've digested not only that anxiety,
00:04:34.280
we've also organized around it with 250 organizations that have been on the ground,
00:04:40.220
one of the largest grassroots campaigns that I've ever been involved with.
00:04:46.460
The fact that we had to literally ask people to stop sending us money
00:04:52.900
We blew past our small dollar amount, and I was very sensitive at a time
00:04:57.280
when we're cutting food stamps and health care premiums are going up.
00:05:00.320
People are feeling the anxiety around a jobs market that's not obviously as robust
00:05:04.580
as it was six to eight months ago, that $10, $20 matters.
00:05:09.320
But we're sort of dialing it up, even though we dialed back the fundraiser.
00:05:14.060
We've dialed up our grassroots and our ground game.
00:05:17.220
And it just, it feels right, and it feels good, but it is a special election.
00:05:22.900
And anything could happen, to your point, on a special election.
00:05:25.700
Well, I got to ask you, before we talk about kind of what this means nationally
00:05:30.580
I want to ask you about a report that I kind of put out over the past day or so,
00:05:34.100
and that's the Trump administration was considering sending a deputy AG
00:05:41.480
People messaged me, they said that they were worried,
00:05:43.480
just generally hearing that the DOJ was sending folks out to California.
00:05:53.560
For every one person they put out there, we're going to have 10 people monitoring the monitors.
00:05:57.500
We're not screwing around, nor is Donald Trump screwing around.
00:06:00.640
And you may have seen what he just sent out this morning, just a few hours ago.
00:06:04.180
Donald Trump sent out a true social saying he's looking at criminal investigation
00:06:09.480
because he already is alleging this election is rigged.
00:06:14.960
This is the Election Rigging Response Act because he also knows he's going to lose the 2026 midterms.
00:06:21.820
And this is why I keep saying, everybody, eyes wide open.
00:06:26.400
This is not just about the maps here in California.
00:06:30.220
He's mapping out a way of guaranteeing his victory in the midterms in 2026 and beyond.
00:06:38.580
As you say, sending out election monitors that are not needed, that have no basis,
00:06:45.480
has no business being out here in a statewide election for a statewide constitutional amendment.
00:06:51.500
He has mass men like Greg Bovino that showed up at the campaign kickoff of Proposition 50
00:06:58.140
That is a preview of things to come at polling places all across the United States.
00:07:02.540
If you thought we were overstating things in June around the federalization of the National Guard,
00:07:08.440
where we said in June, this is a preview of things to come across the United States.
00:07:12.920
We've seen it in D.C., in Portland, in Chicago.
00:07:15.240
And you're going to see it now as he starts to put Trump personnel in military braces all across the United States.
00:07:21.860
And he's organized that very openly come this January to have quick deployment.
00:07:26.940
This is all around 2026, alleging that Prop 50 is already rigged because there's mail-in ballots
00:07:35.800
and alleging criminal, suggesting criminal activities occurring, is chilling.
00:07:42.900
But trust me, to your question, forgive the long-winded response, we're not screwing around.
00:07:47.780
We've set aside millions of dollars for our legal defense.
00:07:50.520
We're there today making sure we're monitoring the monitors so there's nothing happening that is not going to be recorded.
00:08:00.220
And I think that has to be our posture as Democrats with that kind of vigilance going through 2026.
00:08:08.640
What do you think tonight means for 2026, I guess nationally?
00:08:12.960
Because all trends show not just Democrats winning potentially in Prop 50 in California, but also Virginia, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
00:08:22.620
So what does a Democrat win tonight across the board tell you heading into 2026?
00:08:27.800
Well, that the people showed up, that the people watching, they had our backs.
00:08:34.120
And to the folks watching, you showed up, not just for yourselves, but for each other.
00:08:40.240
Seven million of you showed up, you know, talking about the fact there are no crowns, there's no thrones, there's no kings in this country.
00:08:47.260
And you're going to show up in extraordinary numbers in New Jersey and Virginia that sent the Supreme Court race in Pennsylvania.
00:08:53.360
And obviously with this, you know, remarkably gifted young man who will be the next mayor in New York City.
00:09:00.260
And the energy and the clarity, the message that you will send is powerful.
00:09:07.980
And that the Democratic Party, to your question, is back on its toes.
00:09:19.020
We're winning the message nationwide on health care.
00:09:22.080
It's universal because we're connecting to universal values.
00:09:28.220
It's about all of us, all being better off, we're all better off, focusing on hunger, focusing on food.
00:09:33.780
These are universal frameworks that I think just are going to create some remarkable momentum.
00:09:40.540
This is a big, do not understate this, this is a big night for this country.
00:09:53.260
I mean, I have messages every day of folks telling me, I feel the energy shifting, right?
00:09:58.240
For the first time in nine months, I kind of feel hope.
00:10:03.640
His approval rating is at an all-time low, disapproval at an all-time high.
00:10:09.640
Look, across the spectrum, and you saw that numerically to your point about the fact that
00:10:14.080
he's historically unpopular, even more unpopular than he was.
00:10:24.760
Name an issue on crime, the border, immigration, name an issue.
00:10:35.560
The fact is, I think, coming crystal clear, I think he's absorbing that fact.
00:10:41.300
Again, what was the Election-Reganing Response Act all about?
00:10:44.420
It was about the fact that he knows he's going to lose the midterm elections unless he rigs
00:10:49.800
That's why he needs not just Texas, but that's why he's going to need their help in the special
00:10:54.420
session up there in Indiana and Missouri, what he was able to do in North Carolina, and
00:10:59.280
obviously what he's going to try to do in Florida.
00:11:04.160
And I'm not even sure he's masquerading his strength anymore.
00:11:11.500
The last few weeks, I just feel like he's one click behind.
00:11:19.180
No one wants to be associated with him in Virginia, in New Jersey, certainly in California.
00:11:25.780
I mean, this guy is out on an island, honestly.
00:11:29.840
I felt like he was away last week and he didn't even really matter.
00:11:43.700
What about me out here and, you know, saying he's going to sort of investigate us for criminal
00:11:51.280
So, I think those folks that are saying that to you are absolutely right and spot on.
00:11:56.240
But we have a lot of work to do going into 2026 because of those dark clouds.
00:12:09.340
I mean, I think the fact that an incumbent president isn't campaigning in New Jersey,
00:12:12.980
isn't campaigning in Virginia, why isn't he holding a rally?
00:12:15.540
You would think if he was popular, if the voters supported what he was doing, he'd be out
00:12:19.940
on the ground for Sears or for Cittarelli in New Jersey.
00:12:27.820
You're seeing it in the inflation numbers and the job numbers.
00:12:30.120
I mean, he said we were going to be richer and healthier.
00:12:36.140
And it's dawning on everybody that this guy is wrecking this.
00:12:41.480
I mean, it's not just the symbolism, the East Wing.
00:12:45.860
And I think it's really starting to, honestly, I really believe this.
00:12:48.780
I think even his supporters have to start feeling some real deep anxiety about this moment
00:12:57.880
This is the beginning of, I think, our rebirth and renewal as a party.
00:13:02.960
And what I also love about this is I hope we don't get in this old binary, this notion
00:13:10.760
Or is it these two remarkably gifted governors in these two more moderate states?
00:13:18.340
And I think that's the bigger picture, this opportunity that we're building a bigger tent
00:13:23.620
That's we need to bring more people into this party.
00:13:28.660
And I think if we can stay there as a party and be a little bit judgmental around, you
00:13:34.780
know, which direction we need to go, we know that the obstacle is the way.
00:13:41.000
But as we find our way back, we also know the message that matters.
00:13:45.740
And that's this economy is broken for too many people.
00:13:48.480
The economy is not nourishing for enough people.
00:13:50.880
We've got a generation, 30 and younger, that are not doing better than their parents'
00:13:56.460
We've got 10 percent of people that own two-thirds of wealth in this country.
00:14:00.140
We have to democratize our economy to save our democracy.
00:14:05.580
Now, Governor, before I let you go, you talk about we have a lot of work to do.
00:14:10.140
What do people watching this need to know heading after tonight into 2026, into 2028,
00:14:19.240
You know, it's sharing our passion with action.
00:14:30.400
Justice Brandeis said this beautifully, said in a democracy, the most important office is
00:14:34.900
office of citizen, active, non-inert citizenship.
00:14:39.300
And so this notion of self-organizing community, people coming together across their differences,
00:14:43.900
you're seeing it, not just in terms of the large rallies, but you're seeing it in these
00:14:47.840
organizational constructs, people going online, getting offline, standing in line for one
00:14:53.960
another, lifting other people up and continuing to call folks like me to a higher level of
00:14:59.740
responsibility and accountability to be more clear and more focused on messaging, flooding
00:15:06.300
the zone, winning arguments, setting the agenda, and being more forceful moving forward.
00:15:11.960
So again, I just think continuing to do what we've done because people haven't given up.
00:15:19.520
He wanted to exhaust us, stocking on, just become overwhelmed.
00:15:24.900
And I think it's becoming overwhelmingly obvious to Donald Trump that he's losing and we're winning.
00:15:38.200
Please, I pray that we don't get ahead in that 2028 race.
00:15:47.140
It's all about restoring a co-equal branch of government.
00:15:51.080
It's all about the rule of law so that we can maintain this framework of popular sovereignty
00:15:56.360
so we'll have a free and fair election in 2028.
00:15:59.800
California Governor Gavin Newsom, great to be here.
00:16:07.920
On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.
00:16:11.880
I'm Dr. Priyam Gawali, a double board certified physician.
00:16:15.300
And I'm Hari Kondabolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled,
00:16:20.620
And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way,
00:16:25.520
In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic.
00:16:34.980
Listen to Health Stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:16:40.280
The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day.
00:16:51.740
Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut.
00:16:58.180
This is a really stunning development for the AI world.
00:17:05.280
Listen to The Big Take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the iHeartRadio app,
00:17:10.020
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:17:14.520
And on my new podcast, Here We Go Again, we'll take today's trends and headlines and ask,
00:17:22.100
Each week, I'm calling up my friends like Bill Nye, Lilly Singh, and Pete Buttigieg
00:17:27.220
to talk about everything from the space race to movie remakes to psychedelics.
00:17:34.980
Look, the world can seem pretty scary right now.
00:17:37.700
But my goal here is for you to listen and feel a little better about the future.
00:17:42.280
Listen and subscribe to Here We Go Again with Cal Penn on the iHeartRadio app,
00:17:46.300
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:17:52.100
The murder of an 18-year-old girl in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved for years.
00:17:59.080
Until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.
00:18:07.980
Bad things happen to good people in small towns.
00:18:17.580
Listen to Graves County on the iHeartRadio app,
00:18:20.340
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:18:26.420
subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.
00:18:38.320
I have a new podcast called What Are We Even Doing?
00:18:44.500
to understand the brilliant chaos of youth culture.
00:18:47.880
Each week, I invite someone fascinating to join me
00:18:51.080
to talk about navigating this high-speed rollercoaster we call reality.
00:18:55.940
Join me and my delightful guests every Thursday.