California governor Gavin Newsom has gained an unlikely fan, as Tucker Carlson described him as "unbelievable" and “very charming” on his podcast.
Speaking on The Tucker Carlson Show with podcaster and political commentator Jimmy Dore, the pair lauded the likely 2028 presidential election hopeful as “fantastic”, while also questioning whether he represented more of the Democratic establishment norm.
During a discussion about the forthcoming presidential race, the former Fox News host asked Dore: “So what about Newsom?”
“I think he’s fantastic,” Dore replied. “Don’t you think he’s great? I think he cares about the people.”
Carlson laughed in response, given that earlier on the same show Dore was highly critical of Newsom for vetoing bipartisan homelessness legislation in California.
Dore had likened California under Newsom to “one party rule,” comparing it to China “but with more street crime and slower trains.”
The pundit did, however, go on to praise Newsom for having “the gift of the gab” to which Carlson responded: “Oh, he’s unbelievable. He’ll say literally anything, and he’s fun to talk to. He’s very charming, I will say.”
The pair compared Newsom’s speaking abilities to Obama, with Dore saying: “I would feel better after Obama gave a speech. I feel good, and I know he’s full of it, and I would feel better. It’s weird. He has that.”
Carlson went on to ask if Newsom was “any different from Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi,” to which Dore responded: “No. You don’t get to be there if you are.”
Dore also joked that, were the California governor to become president, “he’s going to make the country look as pretty as his hair.”
Carlson is one of several former MAGA firebrands who have broken with Trump during the president’s second term and has gone so far as to apologise for his role in campaigning for his former ally.
The straw that appeared to break Carlson’s back after years of support was the Iran war, which he has repeatedly criticised since Trump launched it with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu three months ago.
Trump has since lashed out at the former Fox News host, claiming earlier this year “Tucker has lost his way.”
“I knew that a long time ago, and he's not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country,” the president said in an interview in March.
“MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America First, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”
Outside of Newsom’s 2028 prospects, Carlson’s two hour interview with Dore was sprawling, covering everything from Democratic presidential hopefuls to Thomas Massie losing his primary in Kentucky and Charlie Kirk’s death.
