Kenneth Glad
A high-profile exchange is gaining traction as prominent voices from different spheres collide in public view. The moment reflects how influence and visibility are evolving in the digital age.
A back-and-forth between California Governor Gavin Newsom and podcast giant Joe Rogan is picking up steam, playing out across social media and long-form audio rather than traditional interviews.
With Rogan’s show reaching tens of millions, the clash is less a niche argument and more a high-visibility fight over politics, personality and influence.
The friction did not come out of nowhere. Rogan has been openly critical of California’s leadership since leaving the state in 2020 after decades there.
He has repeatedly tied that decision to pandemic-era rules, writes Yahoo. Recalling the move, he said: “I started looking out here in May [of 2020], and I went to a restaurant with my kids and they were like, we don’t have to wear a mask? … we could eat at a restaurant?”
“Then we went to the lake, and people are playing music and jumping in the water and [my children] were like, we want to live here! That was it. Two months later, I lived here,” he added.
A sharp exchange
The latest flare-up came on Rogan’s podcast, which, according to Bloomberg, has about 14.5 million followers on Spotify and more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube.
“Whether you like Trump or not, whether you think he’s corrupt, [he’s] a human being … with Newsom, you’ve got like this construct, this cardboard cutout of a person,” Rogan said, also describing him as a “stone cold, narrative-driven politician.”
Newsom answered in kind, posting a taunt on X rather than waiting for a formal interview.
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The tone on both sides is blunt, even by current political standards, and it is happening where millions are already tuned in.
Not quite face-to-face
A direct interview still has not happened. Rogan has said he cooled on the idea after watching Newsom’s online style.
“This is such a bad strategy. Like I probably would have had him on, but now I’m like ‘no, what are you doing?’” he said, adding the governor might “cook himself” in a long conversation.
There has, however, been a workaround. KOMO News reported that in 2025, Newsom appeared on the Shawn Ryan Show, where questions from Rogan were passed along by host Shawn Ryan.
Some of those questions focused on vaccine mandates and responsibility for pandemic decisions.
Rogan referred to the policies as “draconian,” while Newsom pushed back, saying, “California was more restrictive, and we were certainly aggressive at scale. As it relates to the vaccines, vaccines save lives.”
He also said the state is reviewing its pandemic response with outside experts and critics, arguing the goal is to be better prepared next time.
Sources: Yahoo News, Bloomberg, KOMO News, Gavin Newsom post on X
