SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said Friday that the Democratic brand was “toxic” and that his party had to admit its own mistakes, delivering tough love as Democrats struggle in their fight against the Trump administration.

Newsom, once considered a liberal combatant, has embarked on a political soul search in the months since President Donald Trump won the White House and Republicans won both houses of Congress. On Friday, he used his strongest language yet to criticize his own party during an appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher.”

“The Democratic brand is toxic right now,” he said, pointing to a recent NBC News poll that showed Democrats with a 27% favorability rating, the lowest in at least a generation.

Newsom Blames Fellow Democrats

Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, blamed his fellow Democrats for his party’s woes. He criticized Democrats for being judgmental, staying in an echo chamber and resorting to “cancel culture” to ostracize people whose views they find abhorrent.

“We talk down to people,” he said. “We talk past people.”

The governor found in Maher a sympathetic figure who for decades has questioned Democratic orthodoxy despite his liberal leanings.

Newsom this month launched a new podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” on which he has interviewed guests from across the political spectrum. Early episodes featured conversations with Charlie Kirk, who leads the youth organization Turning Point USA, and Steve Bannon, an architect of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Those guests in particular drew fierce criticism from Newsom’s liberal allies.

“This idea that we can’t even have a conversation with the other side?” Newsom said with incredulity Friday.

“You have to. They won,” Maher replied.

Maher has repeatedly expressed his desire to see Newsom run for president. On Friday, he put the question to his guest: “Are you going to do it or not? Just come on, tell us.”

Newsom left plenty of room to maneuver. “I deeply respect the question,” he said, “but I don’t have any grand plans as it respects that.”

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Laurel Rosenhall
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