While it may seem far too early to be talking about the 2028 presidential election, the reality is that just about everyone knows some people are likely to be contenders. One of those is Gavin Newsom, the current governor of California.
Rumor had it that Newsom was a running-mate contender for Kamala Harris in 2024. And before Harris locked up the nomination upon President Joe Biden’s exit from the race, Newsom had been floated as a Biden replacement once it became increasingly clear that the former president was not going to be able to finish his campaign.
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We all know how 2024 turned out, and now all signs point to the fact that Newsom is likely to enter the fray in the race to follow President Donald Trump and become #48.
Newsom has been softening his position on some of the more controversial issues plaguing the Democrats, including breaking with Democrats on the issue of transgender athletes, and while he previously said he was not interested in running, he’s now acknowledging that he could see a path unfold.
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One recent podcast interview, however, showed why Newsom may face some challenges in winning over voters that he may need in the general election, if not the primary.
While Rogan was not the podcast host, he posed a very blunt question that is exactly the type likely to plague Newsom as he rushes to win back voters Democrats lost to Trump in 2024.
Joe Rogan’s blunt question for Gavin Newsom shows a key issue for his 2028 campaign
Governor Newsom faced challenging questions from Rogan while he was on the podcast of Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan’s podcast. Ryan told Newsom he had a “tough” question from another podcast host, and then read aloud the query Rogan had sent in.
Rogan asked: “Who will be held accountable for mandating Covid-19 vaccines for children, which were unnecessary and ineffective, and who will take responsibility for the unprecedented increases in myocarditis and cancer cases among them?”
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The question was a two-parter, with Ryan stating that the second half of it was, “Second to that, do you feel any remorse for that draconian decision that was obviously heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical companies’ desire for maximum profit?”
Rogan’s questions are likely to be controversial, as they're based around what some would call conspiracy theories about the Covid vaccine, which was actually created during the first Trump administration as part of a Trump-led initiative called Operation Warp Speed.
While some evidence suggests myocarditis is a very rare side effect of vaccination, experts agree that the risk is very low, with less than a 0.01% chance of developing the condition after vaccination.
For his part, Newsom denied the allegations about his ties to big pharma and pointed out that Florida had shut down bars and restaurants before California did. He also said he was having independent advisors look at what worked and what didn't in the Covid response and explained he simply took the advice of professionals.
“I took their advice, not as a doctor, but as a governor. So, with humility — seriously —humility and grace, I've asked them to have that report done. It's going to be done next month. And it'll be the only state that I know of that is putting out a truly objective review of what went right and what went wrong,” Newsom said.
Still, there is some lingering anger among many people about what they see as mistakes made during the Covid era, and Newsom is known for setting strict policies in California that in hindsight, not everyone thinks were necessary.
Because of this ongoing anger, Rogan’s questioning of Newsom and his concern about Newsom’s “ties to big pharma” are likely going to be a fruitful line of attack from Republicans, should the governor make it to the general election.
Can Joe Rogan make or break a presidential campaign?
A substantial amount of attention has been placed on Rogan and the influence of the “blogosphere” or “manosphere” on the outcome of the 2024 election.
Rogan famously endorsed then-candidate Donald Trump and interviewed him on his podcast, while an interview with Kamala Harris never materialized.
Trump also appeared on many other popular blogs, and his pop-culture appeal may have helped him capture some historically Democratic voters while juicing voter turnout.
While it's hard to argue that Rogan was responsible for the president’s victory (inflation was probably the biggest driver), the fact is that Rogan will have an influence over certain audiences that could play at least some role in the outcome in 2028.
If Rogan and other podcast hosts make a continued issue out of Newsom's Covid record, that could definitely affect the governor's chances.
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While plenty of other factors are likely to be top-of-mind ahead of a virus that will be eight years old by the time of the 2028 election, the fact remains that Covid was a defining force in the U.S. that set a great deal of political alignment in motion.
Those aftereffects may not have completely disappeared by the time the 2020 race rolls around, and Newsom is, in some circles, viewed as one of the faces of Covid overreach and hypocrisy.
That may still have an impact, especially if big names like Rogan continue to make an issue out of it.
Of course, the economy will probably be the major factor in the next presidential election, but still, Democrats have said they need a “Rogan” of their own to give them a boost in winning elections.
If Rogan’s questioning of Newsom is any indicator, Newsom may not get that boost.
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