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CNN Live Event/Special
Jamaica Braces for Landfall from Cat 5 Hurricane Melissa; Gov. Newsom Reflects on Charlie Kirk & Right-Wing Influencers; Gavin Newsom and California's Role in U.S. Politics; Japanese Prime Minister Welcomes Trump and "New Golden Age" of Alliance; No Kings Protest: Does Trump Want to Be a King? Aired 12-1a ET
Aired October 28, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
COATES: -- have you. I cannot wait to pass that baton to you.
MICHAELSON: I'm excited to take it and honored to be on the team with you. Thanks so much, Laura.
COATES: Alex, thank you.
And hey, everyone, thank you so much for watching. Guess what? "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" starts right now.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson.
THE STORY IS in Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa could be the biggest storm to ever hit the region. We'll take you there. Plus, THE STORY IS in Japan, where President Trump just met with the new Japanese prime minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: Trump, you're going to lose Prop 50.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS in California. Governor Gavin Newsom on our set exclusively talking California's election, his social media memes, President Trump, Joe Rogan and his own future.
Our panel here to react. On the left, Attorney Gloria Allred. On the right, former Newsom challenger Larry Elder. Then, CNN's Andy Scholes live from the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to the first ever edition of THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. I have worked in local news here in California for nearly 20 years, and I am thrilled to now host CNN's first West Coast based show in a long time. We hope to have fair, fun and fast-paced conversations with key players in news, politics, entertainment, tech, sports and more.
But our main priority will always be the biggest breaking stories around the world. So let's start right there.
The top story is in Jamaica, which is bracing for a direct hit from a category five hurricane. Melissa is expected to move ashore on the southwestern part of the island sometime after sunrise, but the storm's slow pace is increasing the likelihood of life-threatening conditions. Jamaica's health and wellness minister says three people died while preparing for the storm.
CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is live.
Allison, where is the storm at right now?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right, so the storm, Elex, is just to the south of Jamaica, and it's really not moving very much. In fact, when you look at the forward movement to the north-northeast at only two miles per hour. I cannot emphasize how slow that is. For some perspective, the average human walking pace is about three to four miles per hour. So you could actually walk faster than the storm is actually moving.
Now sustained winds are of 175 miles per hour, gusting to well over 200 miles per hour, as it slowly going to start to make that turn to the north, and we expect it will but, again, that incredibly slow movement means it has a lot of time to dump a tremendous amount of rain before it finally picks up and heads up towards Cuba, the Bahamas, and then well out over the open Atlantic.
In the short term, you've got all of these rain from the outer bands and then near the center of the storm that are going to cross over Jamaica, then continue over Cuba before finally getting up towards the Bahamas by around midday on Wednesday. We are talking tremendous amounts of rain, especially early on because of that incredibly slow movement.
You look at much of Jamaica, look at all of that red and even pink color. You are talking widespread totals of about six to 10 inches. This is on top of what's already fallen, but there will be some spots that pick up 15, 18, even 20 inches of rain before that system makes its way off towards Cuba, where it's likely going to dump very similar amounts to the eastern portion of that country, and then eventually head up towards the Bahamas.
In terms of historical comparisons for this storm, this ranks in the top 10 strongest Atlantic hurricanes with that wind speed of 175 of all time. Again, you're talking an incredibly dangerous storm here that is about to impact the island of Jamaica.
Here's a look at those winds. Obviously, the worst of them are going to be right there near the center of the storm. But those are going to cross over Jamaica as we head through the next 12 to 24 hours, especially focused on the western side. But again, because this storm is so strong, even the eastern portion of the island are still going to see those winds in excess of 100 miles per hour at times. Then it will continue to make its way up towards Cuba.
Again, while we do anticipate it will weaken slightly, we're not looking at it to go down to a tropical storm. This is still going to be a very potent storm as it crosses over Cuba and then makes its way off towards the Bahamas by the time we get to the latter portion of Wednesday. But the worst of it is certainly going to be in the next few hours.
MICHAELSON: And so we're talking about the worst storm in the history of Jamaica, right?
CHINCHAR: Yes, yes. But that last comparison was Gilbert back in 1988. That one only got to about 130. So this one is certainly much stronger than that. The real question is what area gets -- takes the direct landfall as the storm crosses over.
MICHAELSON: All right. Well, we will keep checking in with you. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for that.
Meanwhile, we head to Tokyo, where President Donald Trump just met with the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
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The leaders signed an agreement to secure the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. In the process, they showered each other with compliments. Japanese prime minister praising the U.S. president's work to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and President Trump said Takaichi will be, quote, "one of the great prime ministers."
We'll head live to Japan a little later on in this hour. But now to our exclusive conversation with the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. Californians are voting on a proposition right now that could help determine which party controls the U.S. House next year. Meanwhile, Newsom has been mocking President Trump with social media memes like this one, comparing him to Marie Antoinette.
Democrat supporters appear to love the trolling. Newsom's poll numbers are up, as is his fundraising. The governor joining me on set earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Joining us now is the governor of California, Governor Gavin Newsom.
Welcome to THE STORY IS.
NEWSOM: THE STORY IS. THE STORY IS is your first show. I'm honored to be here. This is fun.
MICHAELSON: Yes. First guest. First show. New digs.
NEWSOM: Let's not screw it up. By the way, this is next level impressive. Eat your heart out, East Coast. I'm just saying. MICHAELSON: Yes. What is the value of a West Coast based show?
NEWSOM: I mean, come on. We exist. Not just persist. I mean, there is -- I don't want to, you know, get in trouble here, but there tends to be a little bit of bias at times.
MICHAELSON: A lot of bias.
NEWSOM: All right. Thank you. And so it's nice to try to rebalance that, particularly in a state where the future is happening first. And I say that with a point of pride. It's pretty obvious in A.I. and quantum and fusion and so many different areas. But no, I think it's fabulous and congratulations.
MICHAELSON: Thank you very much. So let's start with what I'm sure is going to be your favorite question. So the other day I was talking with former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. I asked him this question this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: You're thinking about running for president, right? I mean, is that fair to say? You're thinking about it?
PETE BUTTIGIEG, FORMER U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I mean, I'm a long way from any kind of decision, but obviously it's not like it hasn't come up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: OK. So question to you. You're thinking about running for president, right?
NEWSOM: No, I mean, it's come up.
(LAUGHTER)
MICHAELSON: Quite a lot.
NEWSOM: No, no, I mean, people talk about it and you'd be lying if it hasn't -- you haven't thought about it or processed it. But that said, quite literally, I'm making the case. That's why I have this initiative Prop 50. There may not be a 2028 election that's free and fair. So my focus is central to getting over the hump in November 4th of this year and then working on 2026 in the midterm elections.
But, look, when people, particularly people that have run before, et cetera, everybody knows the politician, the response, the kabuki, well, I'm just focusing on my day job and we'll see where things go. So I try to be a little more honest about it and people ran with it a little bit.
MICHAELSON: But to that point, for many years you've said to me and several other people that you had subzero interest in running.
NEWSOM: Yes. MICHAELSON: And that how many ways can I say no? So has something
changed?
NEWSOM: Yes. Everything has changed. Everything changed. And here in L.A., you were part of it. You saw it with the federalization of the National Guard. I just think we're on the other side of something radically different, not marginally different. Everything has changed in terms of my mindset and my focus, my energy, my perspective on the world we're living in. Trump and Trumpism, what he represents, and how serious and precious this moment is.
So, no, from that perspective, legitimately, I've changed. This country is changing, and I'm calling it out. And I just feel like we have a responsibility to be a little bit more clear and concise and precise in terms of our efforts.
MICHAELSON: So what is the thought process in terms of thinking about the presidential run, and why would you potentially not run?
NEWSOM: Because it's literally, truly that's so it is now -- now I'm getting into the frame where I sincerely haven't thought about it beyond just a few people bringing things up and talking about the future of this country. Look, my focus is on the essential nature of calling out what Trump is doing in real time, the shock and awe, and how become more and more normalized and socialized, things that are complete deviances from normalcy.
They have to be called out with some firmness and much more aggressiveness. And so, look, that's my contribution to the moment. To the extent that contribution adds value to that conversation, that's for another time. But right now, my focus is on the time I have between now and November 4th and winning Proposition 50.
MICHAELSON: So past the midterms before you even think about it.
NEWSOM: Yes. No, I mean, I don't even -- the whole idea is so absurd to me in so many different respects because this is not -- it was never on my bingo card. I didn't grow up saying, one day I'll be this person. Got a photo on the wall of me meeting someone --
MICHAELSON: There are people that think that you were that way back in the day.
NEWSOM: I know that. Yes. I think there's -- well, that's a whole deeper conversation of perception versus reality. And I have a lot of work to do on that. And I'm going to be doing a little more of that with this book. And now it sounds like, oh, here, he's got a book. Of course, he's running.
MICHAELSON: Yes, yes.
NEWSOM: But truly, I've got a book that I'm putting out next year, early next year, that I've been working on for four or five years, because I can't take the perspective perception of me versus the reality of what I experienced growing up and in my own -- my own childhood and my own experiences so I'm trying to shape shift that from my perspective, not everyone else's.
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MICHAELSON: What's the biggest misconception about you?
NEWSOM: I just think this notion, this, I think I don't know where, you know, I know where it comes from but I think this notion of the silver spoon, I was born into great wealth and privilege, and it's quite the contrary. And I'm not trying to -- it's not a raise you (INAUDIBLE) story. I'm not trying to over romanticize the, you know, a contra narrative, but it's remarkable how that perception has dominated so much of the conversation that even my friends have about me.
They don't know much about me. And so, just for the record, setting it straight for my kids and grandkids, I'm going to be pushing back in that respect.
MICHAELSON: I mean, you spent most of your childhood with a single mother who was, you know, struggled economically, had a foster family.
NEWSOM: Yes.
MICHAELSON: A different experience than the way a lot of people think about you.
NEWSOM: Yes. Completely. And, you know, my mom was 19, 20 when she was pregnant with me. A few years later, she was separated with two kids, and she just hustled to make ends meet. She had two, three jobs all her life. And, you know, it was just hard work and grit. And I was proud of that. My dad struggling for those early years. He was sort of broken, he said, and broke. He attempted to run for elected office.
It was one of the reasons my mom never wanted to see me sitting here with you as governor of California, or even as former mayor of San Francisco. She never wanted that path that my father went on to be my path because it had broken him in many respects. So I'm sober about all of this in the context of the humility and grace that I'm sitting here, that we're here, the contributions she made, the sacrifices she made for me.
I lost her almost 20 plus years ago to breast cancer. I lost my father as well, and I'm proud of them both. But again, that story isn't necessarily present. May not be a story anyone gives a damn about, but it's important to me. And as I said, I got four kids. I hope it's important to them.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about what's happening now. This is the first TV interview you've done since the Department of Justice announced that they're going to be sending election monitors into California to monitor what's happening with the Prop 50 election. It's a statewide election, not a federal election. Why do you think they're doing that?
NEWSOM: Well, I mean, it's a pattern in practice. They're doing it as part of an intimidation strategy. They're trying to suppress the vote. They're trying to chill the freedom of speech. We've seen that with this private police force, these increasing encroachment in terms of our civil liberties, no due process, people with masks jumping out of unmarked cars. We're seeing that in terms of the federalization, the militarization of American cities with troops.
It is part of practice from this administration. They have no business being here. They have no basis being here for exactly the reasons you framed. It's a statewide election for a statewide constitutional amendment. And so there's no pattern of practice in the past of violations of the Voting Rights Act. And all of a sudden now they seem to be champions of the Voting Rights Act. Quite curiously, in some of the most diverse districts in this state, at a particular curious and important time in American history, not just California history.
MICHAELSON: Obviously 2024 was a federal election, but the Biden administration said DOJ monitors to 87 different jurisdictions in that election. The California GOP put up this onto X, saying, "Governor, if there's nothing to hide or nothing wrong, why the concern in having the DOJ observe? What's wrong with transparency?"
NEWSOM: Well, transparency. Let's have the transparency what went in to their request, allegedly, of the Department of Justice, the state GOP, and why they picked these particular five counties. And what allegations or what assertions and what basis of fact are they asserting that there's been violations in the past? Why these counties? Why now? Why a statewide election? Very different than other federal elections or elections with candidates on the ballot?
This is, again, a proposition. Good people can disagree. They'll be accommodated as everyone should be accommodated. They'll have determinations at the county level with the registrars to the extent they want to cooperate. That's up to them. I am just arguing for people to keep their eyes wide open to what's going on in the United States of America. I said this months and months ago.
What's happening in L.A., what's happened in California is a preview of things to come. Watch this space with the DOJ. This is all teen up 2026. Donald Trump does not believe in fair and free elections. He's trying to rig the 2026 election in plain and open sight. And that is obvious to anyone that's paying attention. And he's just winding up.
MICHAELSON: So let's talk about Prop 50 because that is a lot of what you're thinking about here. So background for Prop 50 that people haven't been paying that close attention to this. President Trump says to the governor of Texas that he would like to have five Republican seats in Texas. They redraw the congressional map there. California Democrats say, if you're going to do that, we should redraw our map to have five Democratic seats here.
There's now a proposition to get rid of independent redistricting commission until 2031 in order to create a new map that will probably help the Democrats.
[00:15:06]
There are some people that say two wrongs don't make a right. Why are they wrong? NEWSOM: Well, look, let's go back. What you said was perfectly
accurate, but you missed one key distinction. Donald Trump said he, quote-unquote, "was entitled." That should send a chill. Everyone watching, Democrats, Republicans, he said he was entitled to five seats. That's exactly what Greg Abbott and the legislature did in Texas. They didn't stop there. They're in Missouri. They're now moving in Indiana with a special session.
They just redistricted in North Carolina. And obviously, Ron DeSantis is going to get into this. These guys are not screwing around. They're ruthless. They're trying to rig the election before one vote is cast. What they expected us to do was cast aspersions, maybe write an op-ed, maybe have a candlelight vigil, walk the streets, talk about the way the world should be, maybe try to win the argument as they're consolidating power.
They did not expect us to come up with a strategy to counterbalance things so that we can rebalance and have a chance, have this country have a chance of holding our republican democracy so we can actually celebrate the 250th anniversary, as opposed to tearing down these enduring values of our founding fathers. So our approach is, yes, fight fire with fire. It's not one hand tied behind our back.
It's not about winning an argument. It's about recognizing the other side is not screwing around. No norms. They're open, plain sight, doing everything they can to wreck this republic and our democracy. It started with January 6th. He tried to light democracy on fire. He tried to wreck this country. He dialed for 11,000, 12,000 seats in -- with the secretary of state in Georgia. And now he's doing something unprecedented in American history, calling governors to rig the midterm maps. Wake up.
MICHAELSON: So the leading opponent of Proposition 50 in terms of name recognition is Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor who was one of the champions of independent redistricting. I talked to him last week about you and about this fight. Here's some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: If you're a California Democrat and you want this to be fair, what are -- what are you supposed to do? Like what's the alternative to Prop 50?
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: If I would be a Democrat, I would say outperform Trump. You don't out cheat-Trump. But outperform Trump.
MICHAELSON: What's your question to Governor Newsom?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Look, as you know, I make sure not to make it personal.
MICHAELSON: Right.
SCHWARZENEGGER: So I would never say anything about Governor Newsom. I told him that I totally understand where he's coming from because he wants to run for president. He wants to show that the Democratic Party, I can be your savior. So I understand where he's coming from. He doesn't care about all of this, about keeping the commission and all this stuff. By the way --
MICHAELSON: He says he does.
SCHWARZENEGGER: The politicians say -- well, when the politicians say, this is temporary, remember the longest program is a government program that is temporary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So to that point, the statute says that this ends in 2030.
NEWSOM: Period, full stop.
MICHAELSON: But the sort of de facto, though, is the Democrats get into these seats. They're comfortable in these seats. They like the power. Texas Republicans get into their seats. They like it. So why would it go back? If you can have this --
NEWSOM: Well, they won't have my support. This is temporary. It's transparent and it's democratic. It's the first maps that have ever been put in front of the voters, and that's important. But I also want to put this in front of your viewers. What Arnold Schwarzenegger said is not true. He's a friend. This is not personal. What he said was not true. I absolutely affirm and support redistricting.
In fact, this initiative also does just that. National redistricting. Not going into these fights that have national implications state by state, with one arm tied behind the back. And by the way, I have receipts on that. I was mayor of San Francisco, one of the only Democrats that came out in opposition of the repeal of our independent redistricting commission. This keeps the independent redistricting commission for statewide races, Senate assembly races, the board of equalization.
It just changes it temporarily in response to this unprecedented assault on the rules of the game. And with due respect to the former governor, he should understand rules of the game. And with respect to the former governor, that's not -- that's not an even playing field where it's just the best ideas are going to actually win out. Not when the federalization of the Guard is appearing more and more obvious to people, and the voter suppression that's going on with the DOJ and with masked men in the secret police from ICE that are -- that are occurring across this country.
So this is a different time and it requires a different approach to dealing with Trump and Trump.
MICHAELSON: But you don't think -- at least in California, if there was a fair election between a Republican and a Democrat in a competitive race, that there could -- there couldn't be a fair election here?
NEWSOM: That means -- there are free and fair elections here all the time.
[00:20:02]
The only person who doesn't believe that is Donald Trump, who told me in the Oval Office that I -- you know, he said he absolutely won California. It's madness.
MICHAELSON: If you win Prop 50 election night, real concisely, what's the message California voters are sending?
NEWSOM: Well, they were standing tall. We're not just -- we're not just drawing maps. We're drawing a line in the sand, that this democracy the best the Roman republic, Greek democracy, a notion of independent, co-equal branches of government, popular sovereignty, the rule of law. All matter. Matter more than the rule of dawn. The law of the jungle. We believe in institutions. We want to reform them, but we believe in them.
And we believe in these principles that we've enjoyed, that we no longer can take for granted, that have endured for 249 years. And it's also, I think, a blowback pitch because, again, they didn't expect we would fight fire with fire. It's a different Democratic Party out here. And by the way, let me make this crystal clear. I'm so optimistic about where we're going to be on election night, November 4th.
We're going to have two extraordinary Democratic governors in New Jersey and Virginia. You're going to have a new leader in New York. And regardless of where you are in terms of the progressive policies or moderate policies, there's an energy that he's brought. His campaign style and energy and the youth, the voice that he's represented in this generational movement. And we're going to win in Proposition 50, and the narrative is going to shift.
Democrats are finally now no longer on their back heels. They're on their toes. Again it's about weakness versus strength. And the challenge the Democrats have had is we've appeared weak and meek, and now we are asserting ourselves. And that's what 50 is also representing, an assertion that we're back on the playing field and we are going to fight fire with fire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Later this hour, more of our conversation with Governor Newsom, including how Charlie Kirk's death impacted his family.
Tomorrow, a very different view on Prop 50 from Congressman Kevin Kiley, who could lose his job because of it.
And ahead this hour, our panel. Gloria Allred on the left, Larry Elder on the right. That's going to be a lot of fun. But up next, live to Asia, where President Trump's meetings are underway, when THE STORY IS continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:26:40]
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS President Trump's high-stakes trip to Asia. The president just wrapped up a meeting with the newly elected prime minister there. The two signing a framework agreement on rare earths and minerals.
Hanako Montgomery live in Tokyo.
Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time. It seemed like this was a very friendly meeting.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elex, you're absolutely right. It was a very friendly meeting between Donald Trump and the newly elected Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. Now, it was their first meeting face to face, but again, it went down very, very well. And just moments ago, behind me at Akasaka Palace, that's where they wrapped up this bilateral summit and signed that framework agreement.
Now Trump even complimented Takaichi for making history in Japan as the first female prime minister. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Shinzo Abe was a great friend of mine and I was very saddened to see what happened. It was so shocking. He spoke so well of you long before we met. And I'm not surprised to see that you are now the prime minister. And he would be very happy to know that. And I congratulate you on behalf of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: So, Elex, you can see they already have a pretty deep personal connection --Elex.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And Shinzo Abe, of course, was the Japanese prime minister before when President Trump was president. They were golf buddies. They hung out. It was one of his favorite world leaders. And the new prime minister was a mentee of Abe.
MONTGOMERY: Yes. You're correct. I mean, Trump has called the former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe one of his best friends. And as you mentioned, they shared many rounds of golf together. They fed koi fish in Japan. They've enjoyed sumo. They had many good meals together. I mean, they had a very close relationship. And that's really significant for Trump because during his first term, he actually didn't have that many allies. But clearly in Shinzo Abe he saw a friend and a close, close ally.
Now Takaichi is leaning into that connection that she shares with Abe herself. Abe was her longtime mentor. They actually worked alongside each other for many years as lawmakers of the same party. So Takaichi, even at this bilateral meeting, we saw her gift Trump a golf club that Abe had used during his rounds of golf with Trump, and she also gifted him a golden golf ball. So, again, playing up that golf diplomacy that was a trademark under Abe, and she is using that connection with Abe to get even closer to Trump and bring the U.S.-Japan alliance to new heights -- Elex.
MICHAELSON: A reminder that even at the highest levels, relationships matter. And some people really love golf.
Hanako Montgomery, thank you so much for joining us live from Tokyo.
Up next, more with California Governor Gavin Newsom. But we go to break with live pictures from around the world. This is a look right now at Hong Kong, where of course it is in the middle of the day. In Seattle, it is at night. The space needle, where they are not watching the Mariners in the World Series. And a lot of people hoped they would be right now.
And now live to Atlanta, where it is after midnight at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield Jackson. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: We continue to follow breaking news here on CNN.
[00:34:43]
This is a live picture right now from Kingston Harbor, Jamaica, where the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa are now lashing that island.
The Category 5 storm is expected to move ashore on Jamaica's Southwestern coast sometime after sunrise on Tuesday. Look at that radar. That is not something you want to see.
[00:35:08]
Melissa is already one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, with top sustained winds around 175 miles per hour. We're going to stay on top of that.
But now to more of our exclusive interview with California Governor Gavin Newsom. Here in our studio a little bit earlier, we spoke about the very online conversation happening right now and how he's engaged with leading figures on the right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Obviously, we're also in a very divided time as a country. Part of what you've tried to do with your podcast is at least have conversations with people on the other side. The first conversation was with Charlie Kirk.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And this is how you started that podcast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWSOM: Literally last night, trying to put my son to bed, he's like, No, Dad. I just -- what time? What time is Charlie going to be here? What time?
And I'm like, Dude, you're in school tomorrow. He's 13.
He's like, No, no. This morning, wakes up at six something. He's like, I'm coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So that's your son.
NEWSOM: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Obviously, a fan of Charlie Kirk. What was the conversation like between you and your son after Charlie Kirk was assassinated?
NEWSOM: Well, he called me. I don't know how he got a phone, but he called me from school that day, really alarmed. And all his friends were around the phone that wanted me to somehow express or understand what was going on. He wanted to know if he was dead.
He wasn't a fan of him as much as he was familiar with him. And it was very revelatory for me because he's also out there. My son, who's 11, 12 years old, he's sitting there talking to me about not just Charlie Kirk, but folks like Andrew Tate. And these, you know, sort of beyond Joe Rogan in many ways, sort of Facebook in so many respects, of sort of this novelty of -- of the pod manosphere, et cetera.
And it was so interesting to me, in that context, that he knew so much about Kirk. And that was a true story. He didn't know what he was saying or stand for. He didn't even have a strong position himself.
But you know what? He felt like Charlie was talking to him and other young men and boys. And I think the Democratic Party has failed in that respect. We have abandoned our young men and boys in terms of focusing on them, telling them they matter, and we care.
Young folks are in a crisis in this country. First generation in our lifetime, 30 and younger, not doing better than their parents. Suicide rates, educational attainment, drop-outs, deaths of despair across the spectrum. This is code red.
And if that happened to any other group, Democrats would be jumping over themselves to identify the needs of those groups.
So, I appreciated that. And it's one of the reasons I had Charlie on: not to debate him, but to get in under the hood and to understand why he and others have been so successful in that space.
And that was demonstrably exampled by the outcome of the election and how Trump also exploited that, not with policy, but through attention. And I think we need to give it more attention.
I'm doing that in terms of our executive order in the state. We're doing it at scale, and I know a number of other governors are focusing on this, as well. MICHAELSON: You want to go on Joe Rogan's show and bring this message
to his people.
NEWSOM: I -- I have no interest, but he seems to have strong opinions on me, so he should do it. Why don't we debate, brother?
MICHAELSON: Yes, so -- so, you've also sort of mocked him online, and this was his response to that.
NEWSOM: Jesus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's talking some shit on Twitter.
JOE ROGAN, PODCASTER: I know, it's like you think that's going to work? Like, that's so stupid. Like, this is such a bad look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROGAN: It's such a bad choice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a little desperation in it.
ROGAN: But it's just stupid. It's like, this is a bad strategy. Like, I probably would have had him on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROGAN: But now, I'm like, Nah. What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a fun version where you just do it and cook them. You know?
ROGAN: He'll cook himself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So --
NEWSOM: He won't even -- look, he hasn't -- for years and years, he's been attacking me. And it's one way, and he won't have me on. He's consistently not having me on.
By the way, I'm moving on. I have no interest.
MICHAELSON: You're done with him?
NEWSOM: Joe Rogan's the Facebook of podcasting. He was sitting across one of the brightest minds in podcasting right now. The guy was in the mic, and there are a lot of people at the mic doing extraordinary things --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NEWSOM: -- in podcasting. MICHAELSON: Joe Rogan's got a pretty big audience still, though.
NEWSOM: You know what? But with all due respect, if he's -- if he has a big audience and he -- but he doesn't have big enough confidence -- I didn't go there -- to have me on.
MICHAELSON: Well, you've called him a chicken. Yes.
NEWSOM: But he's been attacking --
MICHAELSON: So --
NEWSOM: Here's the thing. These guys, they all have something in common. It's one way: they attack, they belittle, they demean. They take things out of context. But this is a serious thing.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NEWSOM: And so often, we just sit back and go, Oh, God, I really would love to go on. Oh, if Kamala Harris just went on Joe Rogan, she would have won.
It's not -- it's so much deeper than that. And the unwillingness for a guy like that to even have the common courtesy to attack someone and not have the decency say, you know what? Why don't you have a chance to come on? Let's have a civil dialogue. I've watched you on -- on podcasts with like, Shawn Ryan --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
NEWSOM: -- who's a close buddy of his. He had the courage to have me on, like four hours. Right.
MICHAELSON: Four hours, right.
NEWSOM: Sean Hannity, folks like that. And so, if I can go on Shawn Ryan and Sean Hannity, what are you worried about? What are you -- Joe, you're going to cook me, or I'm going to cook myself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:35:10]
MICHAELSON: Next, reaction to Governor Newsom from our panel. Gloria Allred and Larry Elder, they debate: Does President Trump really want to be a king? That and more, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWSOM: Donald Trump's going to lose Prop 50. Trump, you're going to lose Prop 50.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That is California Governor Gavin Newsom here on "The Story Is" a little bit earlier.
Here to react to that and more is our panel. Gloria Allred is a progressive attorney, one of the best-known women's rights attorneys in the world.
Larry Elder is the host of "The Larry Elder Show" on Salem News Channel, and he ran against Governor Gavin Newsom, was the leading vote getter in the recall election against him to potentially replace Governor Newsom.
Welcome to you both. Thank you for being our first panel.
LARRY ELDER, HOST, "THE LARRY ELDER SHOW": Thank you for having us.
MICHAELSON: You know, I love you both, and you love each other.
ELDER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: So, this is nice to have -- have you both here tonight.
ELDER: It's more of a love-hate kind of thing, Gloria and me. But --
MICHAELSON: Yes, yes, yes.
GLORIA ALLRED, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Larry had said in the break that he didn't think I could love a black man. So, I want to know, Larry --
ELDER: Exactly what I said is you have a thing for a black man. This one. This one.
ALLRED: Here's my question. Are you black?
ELDER: Well, "The L.A. Times" called me the black face of white supremacy.
ALLRED: OK.
ELDER: So, you tell me.
MICHAELSON: All right. Was it -- off the rails.
ELDER: Already off the rails. Already off the rails.
MICHAELSON: I'm just doing intros.
So, Larry, there was a lot to unpack in that Gavin Newsom interview.
ELDER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: I can only imagine what was going through your mind. What was -- what stood out to you?
ELDER: What stood out to me is the amazing ability of Gavin Newsom to divert attention from the awful job he's done as governor.
If I were the governor of a state with the highest unemployment rate in the country, which California is; highest gas prices; highest electricity prices; most homelessness; huge gap between the rich and the poor. People leaving California who leave make twice as much money as those who come. The reason that's important is because the No. 1 source of revenue of California is the state income tax.
And people like Elon Musk, people like Stallone, people like Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro are leaving, meaning that the tax base is going to be even smaller.
Our budget is a disaster. Fire management is a disaster. Water management is a disaster. If I were Gavin Newsom, I'd be talking about what they're doing in Texas, as well. California is rated, by "CEO Magazine," the worst state in which to do business. Texas, Florida the best.
So, if I were Gavin Newsom, I would divert all my attention I could for something like Proposition 50. Do your job, Governor, here.
MICHAELSON: What did you make of what he had to say?
ALLRED: I don't know about Larry, but I happen to love California. This is my home. I want to stay here.
I think the governor, Newsom, is right. The polls show that the majority of the people in California are going to vote for Prop 50.
Let's talk about what Prop 50 is. Prop 50 is named the Election Rigging Response Act, and it's a response to Trump's pressuring certain governors, Texas being the first, Governor Greg Abbott, to redistrict so that they will take over certain Democratic congressional districts in order to get more representatives in Congress who are Republican.
Why is he doing it, President Trump? Because he's afraid he'll lose the House election in 2026.
So, Governor Newsom has decided we should have Prop 50. The majority of Californians agree with him, because we want to take back our power; and we want a fair possibility of winning the House.
MICHAELSON: Larry, do you think that this is the -- an election rigging response? And do you support Prop 50?
ELDER: Of course, I don't support Prop 50. What he's doing is trying to counteract what they're doing in Texas to divert attention, as I said, from his lousy job as governor.
The average price of a home in California is twice that of the national average.
MICHAELSON: Do you? I make that point to his face later in the interview. We can get into that. But -- but in terms of the merits of Prop 50 itself, do you think what happened in Texas was right? ELDER: By law, Texas can redistrict in the middle of a decade. By law,
they can do that.
California, 2008 and again in 2010, took the whole gerrymandering thing out of the hands of politicians and put them in an independent commission. At the time, Gavin Newsom publicly supported it.
Now all of a sudden, because he hates Trump, he has Trump Derangement syndrome, now reversing what he used to say was good, clean government. This is nonsense.
We have 52 seats in the House altogether in California; 43 of them are already held by -- by Democrats, even though California, 40 percent voted for Donald Trump.
This will make it 48 seats out of 52 seats. So, Republicans are getting screwed in California. They'll be screwed even more after Prop 50 passes. It's not fair.
ALLRED: I'm just going to tell you that millions of Californians have marched in the No Kings march. And now that they have marched, now the people across the country have marched, we're going to translate the marches into votes, into votes for Prop 50 in our state. And now many other Democratic governors have agreed they're going to do that. More pressure is being put on Republican governors all across the country to do it.
Here's what's -- what matters. Vote November 4. I brought my ballot with. We've got to vote on November 4.
[00:50:04]
And that's the way we show that we are taking our power back. We want a full -- we want a fair election next year in 2026, and we want another full and fair election in 2028, as well -- Elex.
MICHAELSON: But -- but doesn't it feel a little bit unfair, this idea that that two wrongs don't make a right?
ELDER: A little -- a little bit unfair?
MICHAELSON: I mean, should a place like Huntington Beach be represented by a Democrat or a place like Corona be represent -- or Norco? I mean, these are areas -- shouldn't they have representation for themselves?
ALLRED: What we're doing is we're fighting back against an abuse of power by the executive.
MICHAELSON: By -- by abusing power more?
ALLRED: It's not an abuse of power if people vote for it, and they're going to vote for it.
ELDER: Elex, once again --
ALLRED: And they're going to come out in big numbers.
ELDER: What they're doing in Texas is perfectly legal for Texas.
MICHAELSON: But -- but is it -- is it the right thing for Texas to do? I mean, it -- should Texas be doing it? Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
ELDER: You mean politicians gerrymandered to try and get power?
MICHAELSON: Well, right.
ELDER: Shock. Shocking. Yes. Barack Obama gerrymandered his state, too.
MICHAELSON: There's been a lot -- there's been a lot of gerrymandering over the years.
ELDER: Barack Obama. Barack Obama gerrymandered his district in Illinois in order to make sure that he would not get challenged. And then, he comes out here, and he cuts a commercial for Proposition 50, because gerrymandering is bad. The voters should not -- the politicians should not pick their voters, which is what he did --
MICHAELSON: So -- so --
ELDER: -- in Illinois. Come on.
MICHAELSON: So, let's talk about -- Gloria brought up the idea of the No Kings protest. We saw all those people in the streets. Do you think, Larry, that Donald Trump is a king?
ELDER: Let's see. The man has run three times. In my opinion, he got elected three times.
MICHAELSON: Oh.
ELDER: Kings don't run for election. Kings don't abide by court orders once they -- the court orders come down. It's ridiculous to refer to this man as a king.
ALLRED: It's not ridiculous.
ELDER: It's absurd.
ALLRED: And I'll tell you why.
ELDER: It's absurd.
ALLRED: Because first of all, early in his new administration, a photo went up on The White House X site that showed him as a king --
ELDER: Oh, for crying out loud.
ALLRED: -- on a "TIME" magazine cover with a crown on his head. He says he doesn't want to be king. He says he doesn't want to be a
dictator, except on day one. Those were his words. So -- MICHAELSON: Completely, completely taken out -- weren't those -- weren't those. Wasn't he kind of joking about both?
ELDER: Completely taken out of context. Yes, like they always do.
ALLRED: Yes. Well, joking. The joke, I guess, is on us, but we're not going to live with an authoritarian regime.
MICHAELSON: What do you think of the sort of A.I. response of Donald Trump, literally posting a video of himself with a crown on, in an F- 16, dropping poop on --
ALLRED: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- peaceful protesters? I mean, do you think that's appropriate?
ELDER: There was one that featured Gavin Newsom doing the same thing on the White House. So, all these people are doing silly things. Why are you caring about that kind of stuff?
I care about the economy. I care about the borders. I care about the stock market.
ALLRED: Here's why I care about it.
ELDER: I care -- I care about foreign policy. I care about what he's done to do the -- the peace deal between Hamas and Israel.
The man -- the man has had an extraordinary nine months. And a bunch of silly Democrats are calling him a dictator and a fascist --
ALLRED: You know what?
ELDER: -- and a Nazi, and the No Kings Parade wearing all kinds of dinosaur suits. It's silly.
ALLRED: Larry -- Larry, let me just tell you --
ELDER: What's your -- what's your prescription for the economy?
ALLRED: Let me just --
ELDER: What's prescription for gas prices, for grocery prices? What are you -- what are you doing about the borders?
ALLRED: Let me cut right --
ELDER: What did you do the last four years?
ALLRED: Can I cut --
ELDER: Nothing.
ALLRED: -- into this, or is this a filibuster?
EDLER: Ten million people coming into the country illegally.
MICHAELSON: Go ahead, Gloria. What?
ALLRED: Let me just say, I think it is the height of disrespect for the American people who marched, who have a First Amendment right to assemble and to protest, to have that photo of a plane, you know, unloading feces on them. It is disrespectful. And it's meant, I think, to be disrespectful.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
ALLRED: And that's just part of the disrespect. And the voters are going to show respect for the voting process by going and voting in a fair election.
MICHAELSON: So -- so we're -- hold on. Real quickly. And then we're running out of time.
ELDER: Referring to Donald Trump as a fascist is not disrespectful.
ALLRED: I didn't call him. I didn't --
ELDER: Yes, you did.
ALLRED: -- call him a fascist.
ELDER: Well, Kamala Harris did.
ALLRED: Well, I might think it. But I didn't say it. So --
ELDER: And Joe -- and Joe -- and Joe Biden called him. Joe Biden said he was semi-fascist.
ALLRED: Look --
ELDER: That's not disrespectful.
MICHAELSON: As -- as we --
ELDER: But oh, my God, he does a poop video. Oh my God, that's where I draw the line.
ALLRED: It's just --
ELDER: Really.
ALLRED: I draw the line when we are faced with military in the street against American citizens. I draw the line when ICE is going and trying to catch a person selling tacos on the corner. When I see education funding being cut. I see -- when I see a shutdown of the government and people out of work.
ELDER: Where were you last four years? Last four years?
MICHAELSON: So OK. All right, we've got to -- we've got to end this somewhere. Real quickly, though. A big part of what -- ELDER: People --
MICHAELSON: -- we want to do on this show is show that we can disagree agreeably. So, in one sentence. Gloria, what do you love about Larry?
ALLRED: I love about Larry that he talks more words in one minute than any other human being I've ever met.
MICHAELSON: Larry -- Larry --
ALLRED: So, I give you credit for that. I don't understand half of it, but I like it.
MICHAELSON: What do you love about Gloria?
ELDER: Gloria, despite what people think, has a great sense of humor. She's a charming person and a very good dancer.
[00:55:04]
ALLRED: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: A very good dancer. And so, we all like to dance together.
ALLRED: Right.
MICHAELSON: So, we really can't afford a lot of music. But we have a new theme song.
ALLRED: I hope so.
MICHAELSON: So, we want to debut "The Story Is" theme song.
ELDER: Let's hear it.
MICHAELSON: Hopefully you can hear it. We can play it. And as we go to break, I don't know if you can feel that, that beat. Kind of like it, right? There you go.
Larry Elder --
DLER: Gloria, Gloria has more -- more soul than she can control.
MICHAELSON: Gloria Allred, thank you so much. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
