FOLSOM, Calif. — Carley Stephens describes her political scorn for Gov. Gavin Newsom in several ways.
She referred to Mr. Newsom as a “slimeball,” “a piece of [expletive]” and an “opportunist” as she waited to hear from Sen. Bernard Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
The harsh words from Ms. Stephens, 48, who is frustrated with Democrats and dreams of a third political party, highlighted how the relationship between Mr. Newsom and California liberals has grown icier as he raises his national profile and leans into political pragmatism ahead of a possible 2028 presidential bid.
Mr. Newsom’s decisions to host MAGA royalty Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his podcast and come out against biological men competing in women’s sports marked the last straw for some. The moves reinforced the lingering idea that his liberal image was always a sham.
“To platform someone like Steve Bannon on his podcast when he could platform all the activists, all the mutual aid supporters that are making California great, not to profile them, shows me who he is,” said Ms. Stephens, who works in accounting. “If the Democratic Party puts him up, if he somehow makes it to the primary and somehow makes it past the primary, we’re [expletive].”
Defending his friendly conversations with Trump world figures, Mr. Newsom said he is trying to diagnose how the Democratic Party’s brand has become so “toxic.”
Still, the blowback is a warning sign for Mr. Newsom that the left wing of the Democratic Party, which can swing presidential primaries, has never been convinced that his fiery liberal rhetoric is genuine. Skeptics say his emphasis on moderate pragmatism undermines it.
“I used to be a fan of our governor, but he’s kind of changed his mind on things lately, and I’m disappointed,” Melanie Biesecker said.
The 44-year-old from Grass Valley, California, said Mr. Newsom has too much of a corporate feel.
Asked to elaborate, Ms. Biesecker said, “Like, say whatever you want to get people to buy your message, and then do what you want later.”
Mr. Newsom, 57, still has loyal support among voters. After all, he has been a political staple in California for nearly three decades.
Mr. Newsom, who amassed a fortune through investments in wineries, hotels and restaurants, was first elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1997. He served as mayor of San Francisco before he was elected lieutenant governor and governor. He survived a high-profile recall effort before winning a second term in 2022 with less than 60% of the vote.
Over that time, Mr. Newsom made steady progress in advancing liberal causes.
He led the 2004 push to legalize same-sex marriage, ordered a moratorium on capital punishment in 2019 and signed an executive order in 2020 to phase out the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035.
Mr. Newsom and Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento agreed to provide health care coverage to all low-income adults, regardless of immigration status, through the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.
The program cost far more than projected, prompting Mr. Newsom to sign legislation last week allocating $2.8 billion to close the gap and requiring state officials to reconsider the expansion plan.
Still, voters remain skeptical of his liberal bona fides and ties to Silicon Valley.
He opposed a proposal by the powerful California Labor Federation to allow striking workers to collect unemployment insurance benefits.
His playing nice with Mr. Kirk and Mr. Bannon and his comments about transgender athletes infuriated many Democratic voters who asked how he could be a warrior for liberal causes when he was mingling with political villains.
It contributed to the sense that Mr. Newsom has been reluctant to fight back robustly against President Trump despite what the left is calling the president’s assault against California.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Los Angeles wildfires and issues such as homelessness and the soaring cost of living continue to hang over Mr. Newsom as he prepares to navigate significant budget challenges that will make it more difficult to notch big political wins before he leaves office after the 2026 election.
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, recently said she is not surprised by what she has seen.
“He has always been more or less a ‘tech bro’ from Northern California with the same kind of politics as we thought,” Ms. Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times.
Ms. Gonzalez, who appeared on stage last week at the “Stop the Oligarchy” tour headlined by Mr. Sanders and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, told the Times it is possible “he’s done playing liberal and now he’s just going to be himself.”
Liberal-minded voters in California are now questioning whether Mr. Newsom is too much of a political shape-shifter to win back their trust.
Nicole Ring-Collins, 59, said Mr. Newsom has done some good things but apparently has started to be influenced by outside forces such as money.
Asked whether he has been a bold leader, she said, “I think he was, but, no, no, no.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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