Gavin Newsom heard Joe Biden left presidential race while at the gym. What the governor said on his podcast

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HIGHS AND LOWS OF NEWSOM’S PODCAST DEBUT

With Jenavieve Hatch and Nicole Nixon...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom made hay with President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the presidential race, using the event to launch his new podcast, “Politickin’,” with retired NFL star Marshawn Lynch and sports agent Doug Hendrickson. Golden State Warriors NBA player Draymond Green joined as their first guest.

The first episode, released late Tuesday, started with the three hosts discussing Biden’s Sunday announcement and Newsom’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris. It was the first time Newsom — whose own presidential ambitions aren’t exactly a secret — has spoken publicly about the news since it broke.

The governor has not made himself available to the media to discuss the presidential race, instead preferring to talk about it with a friendlier audience.

“Politickin’” is hosted on the iHeart Radio podcast platform and contains ads for everything from the shingles vaccine to online casinos. Nathan Click, Newsom’s campaign spokesman, said the governor isn’t getting paid for the show.

Newsom, Lynch and Hendrickson started by talking about what everyone wants to hear: Biden’s decision. The governor said he was in the gym on Sunday, and he missed calls from Biden and Harris because his voicemail box was full.

He quickly publicly backed Harris, saying she’s “lighting it up.” Lynch, however, kept asking why Newsom isn’t seizing the opportunity to run for president this year, which the governor sidestepped. Newsom has said he is not running for the office in 2024.

After that, the show quickly became very sports-focused with occasional Newsom interjections.

During the interview with Green, conversation turned to the player’s mental health and decision to seek therapy. The group never explicitly mentioned it, but it was clear they were referring to the 12-game suspension Green got from the NBA last season after he hit Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a December game.

There was also a lot of talk about how to deal with haters and the public on social media. Newsom said very little during this discussion and disappeared almost entirely after the first 20 minutes.

Toward the end of the episode, Lynch asked Green — who also has his own podcast, “The Draymond Green Show” — to share advice about how to have a media platform while being actively engaged in a career.

“I respect you for putting yourself out there like this,” Green said to Newsom. “It’s the exact reason why I’ve appreciated living in the state where you’re the governor … you’ve been standing on the front lines.”

Green suggested Newsom should “embrace the platform.”

“The platform is powerful,” he said. “The platform creates change, and that’s what we’re out here to do.”

Green speculated Newsom may be the first governor to have a podcast. However, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also has a podcast that he uses to discuss issues like water, mental health and more.

Newsom is clearly going more in the entertainment direction with his show. The podcast’s page suggests new episodes will be released weekly.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I wonder if she prosecuted my daddy.”

- Marshawn Lynch, retired NFL star and Oakland native, on Vice President Harris, a former Alameda County prosecutor. Lynch made the comment during a conversation on his “Politickin’” podcast with Newsom, who was touting Harris’ legal career.

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