Mehdi Hasan slams Gavin Newsom after Ben Shapiro podcast moment on ICE officers sparks liberal backlash (Image via Getty)
Mehdi Hasan and Gavin Newsom are now at the center of a loud political debate that started with a podcast clip and quickly spread online. The moment came after California Governor Gavin Newsom appeared on a podcast with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and agreed with him that ICE officers are “not terrorists.” That short response sparked strong reactions, especially from liberal voices who already criticize Newsom’s recent public moves.The discussion happened on This Is Gavin Newsom, where Ben Shapiro raised the issue of anti-ICE protests following the January 7 Minnesota shooting connected to Renee Good’s death. During the talk, Shapiro said it was unfair to call Renee Good a “terrorist” and also pushed back against people labeling ICE agents the same way. When Shapiro said, “ICE officers obviously are not terrorists,” Gavin Newsom replied, “I think that’s fair.”
That single line quickly went viral. Many liberals criticized Newsom, saying the comment weakened his position ahead of a possible 2028 Democratic presidential run. Journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan was one of the loudest critics, calling the podcast appearance “self destructive” and accusing Newsom of helping right-wing voices gain ground.
Mehdi Hasan slams Gavin Newsom over Ben Shapiro podcast comments on ICE cooperation
After the clip spread online, Mehdi Hasan reacted strongly on X. He questioned why Gavin Newsom would agree with Ben Shapiro on such a sensitive topic and allow the moment to be shared widely. Hasan wrote, “Not sure why Newsom is trying to wreck his otherwise very strong chance of winning the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination by doing this self destructive podcast where he allows rightwing guests to walk all over him and then promote clips online of them walking all over him.”Hasan has been openly critical of ICE for months, especially after the Minnesota shooting. In earlier X posts dated January 7, he said ICE should be “abolished” and argued the agency itself was “lawless” and “rogue,” not just a few officers. In one post, he wrote, “Masked ICE agents, it seems, are now killing American citizens on American streets… Any Democrat who doesn’t support abolishing ICE should be instantly primaried and run out of the party… This is non negotiable.”The controversy also connects to a January 7 post from Gavin Newsom’s press office that read, “STATE. SPONSORED. TERRORISM.” Ben Shapiro referenced that post during the podcast and said statements like that make politics “worse.” Newsom’s agreement with Shapiro drew sharp backlash from liberals who expected a stronger defense of sanctuary policies.Later in the January 15 episode of This Is Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro also asked why sanctuary states do not work more closely with ICE. Shapiro said cooperation through jails would be better than arrests at hospitals or churches. Newsom responded clearly, saying, “That’s exactly what they do in California… California cooperates with ICE.”
