FOLSOM, Calif. — Carley Stephens has several ways to describe her political scorn for Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Ms. Stephens refers to Mr. Newsom as a “slime ball,” “a piece of [expletive],” and an “opportunist” as she waited to hear from progressives Sen. Bernard Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
The harsh words from the 48-year-old, who is frustrated with Democrats and dreams of a third party, highlighted how the relationship between Mr. Newsom and liberals in California has grown icier as he raises his national profile and leans into political pragmatism ahead of a possible 2028 presidential bid.
Mr. Newsom’s decisions to host MAGA royalty — Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon — on his podcast and come out against biological men competing in women’s sports were the last straw for some. The moves reinforced the lingering idea that his liberal image was always a sham.
“To platform someone like Steve Bannon on his podcast when he could platform all the activists, all the mutual aid supporters that are are making California great — not to profile them, shows me who he is,” said Ms. Stephens, who works in accounting. “If the Democratic party puts him up, if he somehow makes it to the primary and somehow makes it past the primary, we’re [expletive].”
For his part, Mr. Newsom has defended his friendly conversations with Trump world figures, saying he is trying to diagnose how the Democratic Party’s brand became so “toxic.”
Still, the blowback is a warning sign for Mr. Newsom that the left wing of the Democratic Party, which can swing the party’s presidential primaries, has never been convinced that his fiery liberal rhetoric is genuine. Skeptics say his emphasis on moderate pragmatism undermines it.
“I used to be a fan of our governor, but he’s kind of changed his mind on things lately, and I’m disappointed,” said Melanie Biesecker.
The 44-year-old from Grass Valley, Calif., said Mr. Newsom has too much of a corporate feel.
Asked to elaborate, Ms. Biesecker said, “Like, say whatever you want to get people to buy your message, and then do what you want later.”
Mr. Newsom still enjoys loyal support among voters. After all, the silver-tongued 57-year-old has been a political staple in the blue bastion for nearly three decades.
First elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1997, Mr. Newsom, who had previously amassed a fortune through investments in wineries, hotels, and restaurants, went on to serve as mayor of San Francisco before being elected lieutenant governor and then governor. He survived a high-profile recall effort before winning a second term in 2022 with less than 60% of the vote.
Over that time, Mr. Newsom has marched the ball down the field for liberal causes.
He led the 2004 push to legalize same-sex marriage, ordered a moratorium on capital punishment in 2019, and signed an executive order in 2020 to phase out the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035.
Mr. Newsom and Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento also agreed to provide health coverage to all low-income adults in the state, regardless of their immigration status, through the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.
However, the program cost far more than projected, prompting Mr. Newsom to sign legislation April 15 that allocated $2.8 billion to close the gap and require state officials to reconsider the expansion plan going forward.
Still, voters remain skeptical of his liberal bona fides and his ties to Silicon Valley.
He opposed the powerful California Labor Federation’s proposal to allow striking workers to collect unemployment insurance benefits.
But his decision to play nice with Mr. Kirk and Mr. Bannon, and his comments about trans athletes, infuriated many Democratic voters who ask how he could be a warrior for liberal causes when he is mingling with political villains.
It contributed to the sense that Mr. Newsom has been reluctant to fight back robustly against President Trump, despite what the left is calling the president’s assault against California.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Los Angeles wildfires and issues such as homelessness and the soaring cost of living continue to hang over Mr. Newsom as he prepares to navigate significant budget challenges that will make it more difficult to notch big political wins before he leaves office after the 2026 election.
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, recently said she is not surprised by what she has seen.
“He has always been more or less a ’tech bro’ from Northern California with the same kind of politics as we thought,” Ms. Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times.
Ms. Gonzalez, who appeared on stage this week at the Stop the Oligarchy tour headlined by Mr. Sanders and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, told The Times it is possible “he’s done playing liberal and now he’s just going to be himself.”
Liberal-minded voters in California are now questioning whether Mr. Newsom is too much of a political shapeshifter to win back their trust.
Nicole Ring-Collins said Mr. Newsom has done some good things, but “it seems like” he has started to be influenced by outside forces such as money.
Asked whether he has been a bold leader, the 59-year-old said, “I think he was, but, no, no, no.”
