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Newsom Calls Fox 'Pravda,' Urges Democrats to Be More 'Culturally Normal' After 2024 Setbacks

At the DealBook Conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted Fox News’ primetime coverage as "Pravda" and defended his office’s mimicry of President Trump as a move to "wake" the public to the "normalization of deviancy." He criticized an AI image of the president in papal robes and accused Fox of disproportionate coverage of his team’s posts while ignoring the president’s behavior. Newsom also urged Democrats to become "more culturally normal," citing failures on Israeli politics, immigration, incumbency and inflation as factors in 2024 losses. He declined to directly address a potential 2028 presidential bid.

10:04 AM, 12/04/2025Politics
Newsom Calls Fox 'Pravda,' Urges Democrats to Be More 'Culturally Normal' After 2024 Setbacks

California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized Fox News and urged Democrats to reconnect with mainstream voters during a conversation at The New York Times’ DealBook Conference in New York City. Asked about his office’s recent social media posts that mimicked President Donald Trump’s style, Newsom said the tactic was intended to "wake everybody up" to what he described as the "normalization of deviancy."

"You got Pravda, the primetime lineup at Fox, just going on and on [in defense of Trump]," Newsom said. "[He] called someone the 'R word' or piggy, and somehow it’s just 'Trump being Trump.' Nothing normal about this. He’s a man-child. It’s unbecoming to the president of the United States."

Newsom also ridiculed an AI-generated image of the president in papal robes and mocked the idea of adding the president’s likeness to Mount Rushmore, drawing applause from part of the DealBook audience. He accused some Fox commentators of airing "11 to 15" segments denouncing his team’s posts while failing to call out similar or worse conduct from the president.

Self-critique and lessons for Democrats

Turning inward, Newsom argued that Democrats have at times been out of touch with voters and should be "more culturally normal" and "a little less judgmental." He said that missteps on issues such as Israeli politics, immigration and the border, incumbency concerns, and inflation contributed to Democratic setbacks in 2024. When asked about a possible 2028 presidential run, Newsom declined to engage directly, saying he does not spend much time considering that prospect "to the degree" the host might expect.

Newsom’s remarks underscore a broader debate within the Democratic Party about messaging and cultural alignment with voters as it plans a path forward after recent electoral losses.

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