Overview
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom made the comments at a live memoir event in Los Angeles hosted by Pod Save America, with reports differing on whether Jon Favreau or Tommy Vietor posed the key question.
- Newsom said Israel’s current leadership is taking the U.S. to a point where reconsidering military assistance may become unavoidable, calling the label of an apartheid state appropriate as used by commentators such as Thomas L. Friedman.
- He sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal and political standing and cited pressure from hard‑liners seeking West Bank annexation.
- Newsom linked Netanyahu’s influence to President Trump’s decision to support recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, a claim Netanyahu has publicly rejected.
- He alleged “grift and corruption” tied to regional dynamics benefiting Trump‑aligned figures, naming Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and the Witkoff family, and his remarks drew wide attention as he is viewed as a 2028 contender.