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2w ago

Couric’s ‘Zoolander’ Question to Newsom Draws Online Blowback

Attention to his looks overshadowed tougher questions on California’s poverty, unemployment, education, housing.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is considered a likely contender for the 2028 U.S. presidential election, speaks about his new memoir "Young Man in a Hurry," during a book tour event in the state which traditionally holds the nation's first primary election for president every four years, at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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Overview

  • On her Next Question podcast, Katie Couric asked Gov. Gavin Newsom if he has a “Zoolander problem” and whether being “ridiculously good-looking,” as Vogue described him, is a problem.
  • Gavin Newsom replied that he does not try to manage perceptions of his appearance, saying, “I am who I am.”
  • Clips of the exchange spread widely on X as critics accused Couric of doing publicity rather than journalism, with reactions from Megyn Kelly, Stephen L. Miller, and Matt Whitlock highlighted.
  • Beyond the viral moment, Couric pressed Newsom on California’s poverty rate, unemployment, and school performance, prompting a multi-minute defense of his record.
  • Newsom attributed persistent challenges largely to a long-running housing supply-demand imbalance, citing decades-old structural issues in the state.