California Governor Gavin Newsom has turned his feud with Joe Rogan into political theater — and this round was pure spectacle. In a string of all-caps posts from his official press office account, Newsom branded Rogan “snack-sized,” accused him of being “too chicken” to host a debate, and even compared the podcaster to “Dozy Don,” his nickname for President Donald Trump.
“JOE ROGAN IS A SNACK-SIZED PODCASTER WHO CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT ME (OBSESSED! ‘CRUSH?’ NO THANK YOU!) BUT IS TOO SCARED TO HAVE ME ON AND LET HIS AUDIENCE HEAR THE TRUTH,” Newsom wrote. “JUST LIKE DOZY DON HE OFTEN ‘CHICKENS OUT.’ I’VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE GUY AND WISH THE MINI HOST THE BEST IN LIFE! I’LL COME ON AND WILL HELP SAVE THE SHOW AND ITS PLUMMETING RATINGS!”
The post came after Newsom shared a clip of Rogan mocking him on The Joe Rogan Experience. In the episode, Rogan told his guest that Democrats “don’t have any faith” in Newsom and joked that the governor “wants to be president so bad.” He added, “You can’t ruin a city and then go on to ruin a state and say, ‘Guys, that was just practice. Once I get in as president, I’m gonna fix it all.’”
Newsom clapped back on X, saying Rogan was “too chicken” to have him on the show, and followed it up by listing California’s successes in areas like the economy, technology, and clean energy. “I could continue… invite me on any time,” he concluded.
The California governor doubled down during an appearance on the Higher Learning podcast, telling hosts Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay, “He’s been attacking me for years and won’t have me on the show. Joe, why won’t you have me on the show? He’ll have guests on who bash me, but he won’t let me respond. Period. Full stop.”
Newsom wasn’t finished. “I’m not afraid to go… I’m punching Joe Rogan, OK?” he said. “That son of a b**** is not used to that. And he’s gonna dismiss it, he’s gonna laugh it off, tough guy and all that, but is he going to have me on? I don’t know.”
Rogan has not publicly responded to Newsom’s challenge, but his previous comments made his stance clear. The podcaster called Newsom a “bulls*** artist,” accused him of “killing Hollywood,” and blamed his policies for the state’s rising homelessness and outmigration.
The spat is the latest in Newsom’s increasingly combative social media strategy, one that mixes humor, trolling, and political contrast to position himself as the Democrats’ most online fighter against the MAGA movement. His willingness to go toe-to-toe with Rogan — a pop culture powerhouse with millions of listeners — suggests he’s happy to play offense in arenas where most politicians would avoid combat.
Still, the governor’s Trump-style tone raised eyebrows, with critics saying the all-caps tirade looked more like something out of Truth Social than a gubernatorial account. Yet for Newsom, that may be the point taking on right-wing influencers in their own language and meeting fire with fire. Whether Rogan takes the bait or not, Newsom seems to be enjoying the show.
