California Gov. Gavin Newsom has suggested that Elon Musk is “scared” of firebrand former White House advisor Steve Bannon.
Speaking with the War Room host on the latest episode of his new podcast This is Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor probed Bannon on his rocky relationship with the tech billionaire. Even the president has reportedly attempted to play peacemaker, urging the pair to sit down in person and thrash out peace terms, according to The New York Times.
But Donald Trump’s former White House advisor has refused to lay off despite the president’s pleas for a united front. Musk is said to be “privately irritated,” according to The Times, but rarely takes public swipes at Bannon.
Last month, he did post on X that Bannon is "a great talker, but not a great doer," but his attacks do not have the same intensity as Bannon’s. The 71-year-old called the tech mogul a “racist” and a “parasitic illegal alien” in an interview with UnHerd released Feb. 18. This came around the same time he was reportedly urged to cease his very public Musk-dissent by the president.
This has led Newsom, who has had high-profile run ins with President Trump, to deduce that the tech mogul is “scared” of Bannon.
“He’s marginally attacked you back. I’m curious your private thoughts on that. He’s a little scared of you, isn’t he?” Newsom asked.
“No, I don’t think Elon’s...” Bannon said in an attempted deflection, before Newsom shot across him: “I think he is a little bit, that’s my personal opinion.”
“I’m just a mick that yells into a microphone,” Bannon responded, changing the subject, “But Governor, no. I think it’s important. Let’s get back to why President Trump won again.”
The pair were chatting about what Bannon calls “techno feudalism,” when they got onto the subject of Musk’s apparent fear of Bannon.
Techno feudalism is a concept that describes a post-capitalism era dominated by tech overlords. This, naturally, saw the X owner brought up.
Earlier in the chat, Newsom had touched on Bannon’s apparent “issues” with Musk. Bannon pushed back on any notions of a rift, but the California Gov. then reminded Bannon of what he said in the Feb. interview with UnHerd.
“You called him evil. You called him a racist... parasitic illegal alien,” he said.
Bannon fired back that “California created him,” to which Newsom agreed. “California did. It was regulatory process and our subsidies to create this market. You’re a hundred percent right,” he said.
Musk’s companies, particularly Tesla, have benefited from significant subsidies in the state. These include rebates, tax credits, and market mechanisms totaling a reported $3.2 billion.
Bannon then suggested that Newsom should work on a “California DOGE” with Musk. “I just had an idea. We should invite Elon. Because you know these guys better,” he said.
“You’re personal friends with these guys. Elon ought to make a California DOGE, sit down with you so you can get the ground work.”
Newsom slapped back that California had already saved “the right way.” He added that there is a “recklessness” to what Musk’s slashing of federal spending and decimation of federal workforces.
“Let Elon come out and verify, that I think it would be good for the nation,” Bannon said, with Newsom pointing out that the veteran podcaster was now “defending” his apparent nemesis.
“Steve, I love that you’re defending him now, by the way, he’s been soft on you. He hasn’t attacked you back, which is interesting to me,” Newsom said.
Bannon did mention that he has “a lot of problems” with the Tesla chief, adding that Musk is well aware of his feelings.
“I’ve got a lot of problems with Elon and you know that Elon knows it. But what I do admire is that he is trying to get this situation to get the waste, fraud and abuse out,” he said. “I hope it gets to a trillion dollars. I’m a big supporter of that. I don’t think we’re gonna get there.”
Musk set the lofty target during Trump’s Cabinet meeting earlier this month, saying that he believes DOGE can save $4 billion per day, every day from now through to the end of September.
The latest podcast comes after Newsom broke from the party line when agreeing with conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on trans athlete issues in his last episode of This is Gavin Newsom.
