Gavin Newsom Issues Warning About 'Dangerous' JD Vance — And Claims He's 'Almost More' Terrified of the Veep Than Trump
Gavin Newsom called out JD Vance's past criticism of Donald Trump.
Feb. 27 2026, Updated 2:10 p.m. ET
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a grave warning about a 2028 presidential hopeful – and admitted why he "scares" him "almost more" than President Donald Trump, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Wednesday, February 25, Newsom suggested that Vice President JD Vance's completely turnaround on his past criticism of the POTUS was deeply concerning during a sit-down with MS NOW's Jen Psaki.
Gavin Newsom Thinks JD Vance Is 'Dangerous'
Gavin Newsome dubbed JD Vance a 'unique fraud.'
"Vance, for whatever reason, scares me," Newsom said. "Almost more than Trump. I don’t know. I just — I mean, talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it."
"JD Vance and Marco Rubio were two of the most effective critics (of Trump)," he added. "But JD is a unique fraud and phony. And he’s a little more dangerous."
"I mean, listen to some of its biggest funders, the way they talk. There’s a nihilism to the way they talk about the world," the governor continued. "I know these guys. I literally know them."
Inside JD Vance's Criticism of Donald Trump
JD Vance previously called Donald Trump 'unfit' to be POTUS.
Prior to his stint as veep, Vance had a lot to say about Trump – and very little of it was good. He didn't shy away from slamming the now 79-year-old, calling him an "idiot" and comparing him to "America's Hitler."
In a deleted 2016 social media, he declared: "Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation's highest office."
That same year, he said he couldn't "stomach Trump," insisting he was "noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place" in an interview with NPR.
Vance even went so far as to brand himself a "never Trump guy."
"I think there’s a chance, if I feel like Trump has a really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton," he said, per Politico.
JD Vance accepted the nomination for vice president in 2024.
However, he did a complete 180 when he officially accepted the Republican nomination for vice president during the 2024 Republican National Convention.
"President Trump represents America's last best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again: A country where a working class boy, born far from the halls of power, can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America," he said at the time.
JD Vance Claims He Was 'Wrong' About Trump
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JD Vance said he'd been open about his criticism of Donald Trump.
During the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate in 2024, Vance admitted to disagreeing with Trump in the past, but said he felt he'd been "wrong" about the controversial politician.
"Donald Trump delivered for the American people, rising wages, rising, take home pay, an economy that worked for normal Americans, a secure southern border, a lot of things, frankly, that I didn’t think you’d be able to deliver on," he continued. "And yeah, when you screw up, when you misspeak, when you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people about it."
