❝Story06:00
Newsom on His Single Mother, Two Jobs, and the Grit He Inherited
Newsom describes his mother as a 19-year-old who became pregnant with him, then raised two kids alone after his father left. She worked two or three jobs, moved out of her own bedroom to rent it, and the struggle, including a grandfather who took his life after World War II, formed the work ethic Newsom says he inherited. The account is his recollection, not a verified biography.
- His mother came from no wealth and raised two kids alone
- She moved out of her own bedroom to rent it for income
- Newsom's father left but not in disgrace, in his telling
- He traces his grit and his anxiety to her example
“She ran out of her own bedroom. Sacrificed everything for two kids.”
“everything that finds the best of me, grit, hard work is reflected in her”
#childhood#single mother#work ethic#upbringing
❝Story14:30
How Trump's 'Newskum' Insult Goes Back to a Childhood Bully
Newsom recounts being called 'Newskum' by a bully on Baltimore Street in Marin County as a child, a taunt Donald Trump later revived as 'Gavin Newskum'. He says he told Trump the line was not particularly original, and Trump moved on to another topic, linking a current political nickname to a boyhood one.
- The 'Gavin Newskum' nickname originated with a childhood bully on Baltimore Street
- Newsom told Trump the line was not particularly original
- Trump moved on to another topic at Newsom's pushback
- Newsom traces the boyhood bullying partly to a distinctive haircut
“It's not, Mr. President, it's not particularly original.”
#bullying#nicknames#childhood#trump
❝Story28:00
How Mayor Newsom Opened City Hall to Marry 4,036 Same-Sex Couples
Newly elected in 2004, Newsom directed San Francisco city hall to begin marrying same-sex couples, opening the doors an hour before courts could issue a restraining order. He says 4,036 couples from 46 states and eight countries came during what became known as the Winter of Love, and that his own party was furious, having advised him to do 'what you think is right' only as a slogan.
- Newsom says a George W. Bush State of the Union line prompted the decision
- He opened city hall at 8 a.m. ahead of a possible court order
- He married Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, together nearly 50 years
- The Democratic Party, he says, was almost universally opposed at the time
“We married Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. And they've been together almost 50 years.”
“4,036 couples from 46 states in eight countries came to San Francisco”
#same-sex marriage#civil rights#san francisco#2004
❝Story34:00
The Voicemail About 'Next Thursday I Won't Be Around'
Newsom describes his mother's voice message asking him to come to her last day before an assisted suicide she undertook because of metastatic breast cancer pain. He says she and his sister looked through old photos, she took pills, and he held her hand as she died. He notes it was not then legal in California, says he later helped change the law, and explicitly declines to recommend anyone follow the same path.
- Newsom's mother left a voicemail saying next Thursday would be her last day
- She chose assisted suicide because of metastatic breast cancer pain, in his telling
- Newsom held her hand as she died and his sister ran out
- At the time the procedure was not legal in California
“Hi honey, it's your mother. I know you haven't seen me in a while, but next Thursday I won't be around”
“don't forget me God is my witness don't forget me”
#mother#assisted suicide#breast cancer#grief
❝Story1:28:00
Inside the Biden Debate Night Panic and the Push to Replace Him
Newsom, who served as Biden's chief surrogate on debate night in 2024, says he stood up as Biden walked on stage and told staff 'something's off'. He describes a phone tree that lit up that night, meetings at the White House where Democratic governors pressed Biden, and Biden's belief that only he could beat Trump. Newsom says he backed Biden publicly until the end, and describes feeling a little angry he did not even get a heads-up call when Biden withdrew, learning from a voicemail and endorsing Kamala Harris within hours.
- Newsom was Biden's chief surrogate on the night of the 2024 debate
- He says he knew 'something's off' the moment Biden walked on stage
- He describes a phone tree of panic and meetings pressing Biden at the White House
- Newsom says he endorsed Harris within hours of Biden's withdrawal
- He says he felt 'a little angry' not to get a heads-up call
“I was a little angry I didn't get heads up”
“The coin of the realm in politics is loyalty. Period. Full stop.”
#biden#democratic primary#2024 election#kamala harris
❝Story1:49:00
The Peregrine Falcon That Appeared After Newsom's Father Died
Asked in the closing tradition whether he has received 'a sign from beyond', Newsom describes visiting his late father's San Francisco home after his death and seeing a peregrine falcon on the balcony. He says his father's passion was peregrine falconry and that he had never seen a peregrine in San Francisco before or since. His sister was with him. He frames the moment as his answer.
- Newsom's father died in his San Francisco home, in his telling
- A peregrine falcon appeared on the balcony shortly after the death
- Newsom says his father was passionate about peregrine falconry
- He says it was his first peregrine sighting in many years in San Francisco
“Can't make this up.”
“True story. There's my answer.”
#grief#father#peregrine falcon#spirituality