Meet the real president of the United States.
His name is Gavin Christopher Newsom. He is chief executive of America’s richest and most populous state.
And in this peculiar moment, that makes him the real president, by default.
Sure, there’s a guy living in the White House who some people call president. But real presidents swear an oath to execute the laws and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Donald Trump violates the laws and the Constitution constantly, thus abandoning the post to which he has elected.
In response, Newsom has effectively assumed the presidency, though the public doesn’t yet understand this. One common complaint is that Newsom is distracted by issues beyond California. Another dig is that he is pursuing future presidential ambitions.
But those gripes miss what’s really going on. Newsom isn’t running for president; he’s acting like the president, not a governor, because the country needs someone to act like a president.
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Newsom’s controversial new podcast, with its pluralistic mission — “tackling tough questions, engaging with people who don’t always agree with me, debating without demeaning” — is of a piece with his defend-the-system presidency.
Members of his own party have rightfully criticized Newsom for failing to challenge the far-right figures who appear as guests. (Newsom’s surrender to anti-trans ideology was ugly). But the gambit makes sense if you’re a president seeking consensus in a polarized country. On the podcast, he isn’t really interviewing anyone — he is presiding, since even MAGA strategists like Steve Bannon are the real president’s constituents, too.
I don't think we have any Gruesome Newsom emojis. Maybe we can do something with this?
You know what? I like this. It's more comedy for future historians.