A clip from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s PBS NewsHour interview in the Carolinas is circulating on X after reality TV personality Spencer Pratt posted the footage and described Newsom as “tickled by his fantasy of being President.” The video shows Newsom discussing Democrats’ strategy and his national profile. Online users reacted after Pratt’s post, with many mocking Newsom’s polished presentation and questioning his presidential prospects.
The clip was posted on X by Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt), alongside a caption calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom “Sparkle Beach Ken Doll” and saying he is “so tickled by his fantasy of being President…and he’s not going to get close.”
In the clip, Nawaz tells Newsom he looks “very comfortable in this format” and asks, “Would you keep the podcast if you were president?” Newsom smiles and answers, “Oh, that’s interesting. As president, a presidential podcast, that’s kind of a little different… a little different than a fireside chat.” Asked if that would be a good idea, he leans back and says, “I’m sitting back. I’m thinking. I’m thinking about what I would wear. Is it a sweater? Is it more a relaxing, approachable look?”
He adds, “I feel my physiology changed when you said that,” then calls a presidential podcast “a fantastic one,” saying, “you have to meet people where they are.” The 31-second clip Pratt shared doesn’t show what Newsom said immediately before or after those moments, and the excerpt doesn’t include an announcement of a 2028 campaign.
Responses to the PBS Interview Clip
Some users focused on Pratt’s nickname. Katy Grimes quoted the “Sparkle Beach Ken Doll” line and called it “Delicious! Epic. Well done,” while another commenter wrote, “Scott Bessent called him Sparkle Beach Ken, and it suits him perfectly.”
Others zeroed in on Newsom’s on-camera manner. One reply said, “You can’t unsee it,” and another wrote, “He’s so gross. So cringe. So desperate.”
Several commenters treated the clip as evidence he should stay out of a national race. One user said, “He’s such a fraud, and he must not get anywhere near the White House,” adding, “We cannot let him do to America what he has done to California.”
Another wrote, “If he had a presidential podcast, his first concern would be what to wear,” and added, “God help us if he ever gets elected President.”
For now, the clip has become another reference point in the online argument over Newsom’s national profile. Viewers remain split on whether the interview shows a governor making a serious case or a polished pitch that still has to answer for California’s record.
