As California Governor Gavin Newsom quietly positions himself for a likely 2028 presidential bid, he appears to be drawing from an unexpected source for strategic guidance: his ex-wife and longtime conservative figure, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, multiple insiders have revealed that Guilfoyle — a well-known conservative and former Trump adviser — has had a hand in helping Newsom secure interviews with prominent right-wing voices on his new podcast, This Is Gavin Newsom. The podcast launched in February and immediately raised eyebrows when it featured Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk as its first guest. Subsequent episodes have included names like Steve Bannon and Anthony Scaramucci, both of whom were key players in the Trump administration.
While Newsom insists the podcast isn’t a stunt, but rather a platform to “hear both sides” of America’s pressing issues, the timing and guest selection suggest a strategic pivot as he gauges national appeal beyond his progressive base.
Sources close to the governor told THR that Kimberly Guilfoyle’s possible behind-the-scenes influence “doesn’t surprise me at all.” Though Newsom and Guilfoyle split nearly two decades ago — after a high-profile marriage that began in 2001 and ended in 2006 — their paths have diverged dramatically. Guilfoyle went on to become a mainstay of the conservative movement, hosting on Fox News, campaigning for President Trump, and eventually becoming engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
While their political lives have been polar opposites for years, Newsom’s sudden interest in engaging conservative voices has sparked speculation. Is this about bridging divides — or broadening his national appeal ahead of 2028?
For now, the governor insists it’s about dialogue. But with Guilfoyle’s fingerprints reportedly on the strategy, some wonder if Newsom’s “unity” podcast is really a soft launch into the national political arena — with a bipartisan twistengineered by a very familiar name from his past.
