Gavin Newsom found himself on the defensive during a tense interview on Real Time with Bill Maher, as host Bill Maher called out the governor for adopting a combative style similar to Donald Trump. Newsom appeared on the show to promote his memoir Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, but the conversation quickly shifted to his messaging style and whether it mirrors Trump. Maher accused Newsom of "imitating" Trump. The governor pushed back, saying, "I'm trying to put a mirror up to Donald Trump. We're just trying to reflect that reality and express the absurdity of all of this.