California Governor Gavin Newsom admitted during a Wednesday interview that Vice President JD Vance “scares” him as the heir apparent to the Make America Great Again movement. Speaking with former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on MS NOW, Newsom confessed that Vance worries him “almost more than” President Donald Trump. The governor also directed his fire toward Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling the veteran statesman a “complete fraud.”
“No. But Vance, for whatever reason, scares me,” Newsom volunteered when asked about the future of the MAGA flame. He complained that Vance and Rubio had transitioned from critics to “effective” allies of the president, describing them as “phonies.” Newsom claimed that Vance is “unique” and “dangerous” because of the “nihilistic” worldview held by his inner circle and financial backers.
The governor’s “unhinged” performance included claims that he “literally” knows the people surrounding the vice president from his days in the private sector. Newsom used the platform to promote his new memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” while suggesting that Trump might even attempt to run for a third term. “I just — I mean, talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it,” Newsom added, referring to Vance’s political evolution.
President Trump has repeatedly stated that he will not seek a third term and has praised the skills of both Vance and Rubio as potential successors. The administration has dismissed Newsom’s rhetoric as a “desperate” attempt to stay relevant amid his own “960 SAT” scandal. While Newsom frets about “nihilism,” the Trump-Vance team remains focused on the “American Manufacturing Renaissance” and securing the border.
Critics labeled the interview as a “clown show” of hyperbolic fear-mongering from a governor whose own state is facing a mass exodus. Newsom’s suggestion that the president might ignore constitutional term limits was described by the White House as a “delusional” distraction. For many viewers, the governor’s admission of fear only confirmed that Vance is successfully delivering on the “common sense” agenda that the radical-left cannot stop.
As the 2028 primary begins to take shape, Newsom is clearly positioning himself as the “warrior” against the next generation of MAGA leadership. However, his “vicious” attacks on Rubio and Vance may backfire with moderate voters who are tired of the “scoundrel” tactics of the far-left. While Newsom watches from California, the vice president continues to lead the “war on fraud” and solidify his place as the future of the movement.