Vogue released an embarrassingly gushing article on California Governor Gavin Newsom, praising his looks, his latest memoir, and his opposition to President Trump as he positions himself for a likely 2028 presidential run.
"Let’s get this out of the way," the Vogue article began. "He is embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence as he delivers his final State of the State address." As expected, the piece continued to lavish attention on Newsom’s memoir and political stance, without ever questioning his leadership or the policies that have contributed to California's ongoing decline.
Vogue's new Annie Leibovitz profile of Gavin Newsom "Gavin Newsom Is Setting His Own Rules" begins with the most disgusting lede I've ever seen:
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 2, 2026
"Let’s get this out of the way: He is embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence as he… pic.twitter.com/Z3Tfle4Frk
The Vogue article went on:
It must drive Trump nuts. Newsom: lithe, ardent, energetic, a glimmer of optimism in his eye; Kennedy-esque. Add to that his stunning wife and four adorable kids, and the executive strut of a self-made millionaire who has spent the past seven years at the helm of a state big, complex, and rich enough to be a nation of its own. Then there’s the stuff Newsom has been doing.
There’s a photo that does the online rounds now and then, a shot of the governor on the tarmac at LAX, aiming his finger at the president’s chest. Bouncer body language, like, Hey buddy, not so fast. It has seemed at times, this past year, that the only thing standing athwart Donald Trump’s will to power is Gavin Newsom. They make good foils: Both are masters of modern media; both, in their own way, know how to star in The Politics Show.
And yet the article barely touched on how he has governed his state.
The author even admits it. "There were topics I didn’t get to discuss with him—the LA wildfires, contraction and corporate consolidation in Hollywood, homelessness, the coming AI apocalypse, to name a few—but where we did range, I saw a man who likes spitballing, trying ideas on for size." In other words, many of the questions a journalist should press a potential presidential candidate on, like how he would avoid repeating massive policy failures from his own state or how he would handle looming national challenges, were left unasked.
Instead, Newsom received a softball interview, with the focus squarely on his background and his opposition to Trump. The result is a piece focused on polishing the image of someone already lionized by Democrats, while ignoring the need to hold him accountable for disastrous policy.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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