By Andrew Stanton and Jason Lemon
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California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of being the "leading nationalist and socialist of our time" in an appearance on the Pivot podcast.
Why It Matters
Newsom has sought to establish himself as a leading Trump foil who has opposed the president on key fronts, including the redistricting race in Texas and the use of the National Guard to quell protests and riots over his administration's immigration policies in Los Angeles earlier this summer.
Read More on Politics
The governor is viewed as a likely 2028 presidential candidate for Democrats, and polls suggest that many primary voters are responding well to his opposition to Trump, as his support has surged in recent surveys.
What to Know
Newsom slammed Trump's policies, including his recent deal with Intel, during the podcast interview with journalist Kara Swisher released on Friday.
Trump announced last week that Intel, a computer chip-producing company, would give the federal government a 10 percent stake in the company. The announcement sparked bipartisan backlash as critics raised concerns about whether it was a step toward socialism.
"This guy has completely perverted capitalism, Donald Trump. It's crony capitalism. It's whatever, you pay him off, give him a phone call," Newsom said.
"I mean, these illegal tariffs, which we're also in court on, all the things that are happening in this country, it's just perverse that they could be shaping the Democratic Party in the context of the socialist brand, when in fact this guy is the leading nationalist and socialist of our time," he said.
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Republicans have sought to tie Democrats to the party's socialist politicians, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, although most Democrats have pushed back against the characterization that they are aligned with socialists.
White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai previously rejected the notion that Trump is marching toward socialism in a statement to Newsweek, writing that the president is "ensuring that taxpayers are able to reap the upside of the federal government's investments into safeguarding our national and economic security."
An August 2022 Pew Research Center poll found that 36 percent of Americans viewed socialism positively, while 57 percent viewed capitalism positively.
What People Are Saying
White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai previously told Newsweek: "The previous administration pushed legislation to dole out billions in grants that prioritized DEI over taxpayer return to some of the largest semiconductor companies in the world. Now the Trump administration is ensuring that taxpayers are able to reap the upside of the federal government's investments into safeguarding our national and economic security – all while simultaneously pushing supply-side reforms like deregulation and The One Big Beautiful Bill's tax cuts to let the free market restore America as the world's most dynamic economy."
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, on X: "If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn't the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism? Terrible idea."
Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan, in a statement: "President Trump's focus on U.S. chip manufacturing is driving historic investments in a vital industry that is integral to the country's economic and national security. We are grateful for the confidence the President and the Administration have placed in Intel, and we look forward to working to advance U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership."
What Happens Next
Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that he hopes to have "many more cases like" Intel.
Update 8/29/25, 12:41 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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