Honestly, this comparison never even occurred to me before now. The fact that it occurs to Gavin Newsom's friends speaks volumes, however. And once Jonathan Karl raises it in this interview, it will be impossible to unlink in my mind, like, ever.
Which prompts the question: What does Newson think about Huey Lewis and the News' 'Hip To Be Square,' anyway? Enquiring minds want to know.
Get ready for one of the weirdest moments in political interviews, especially involving a leading Democrat presidential hopeful:
AWKWARD: Jonathan Karl Tells Newsom That He Reminds People of the American Psycho Villain 🤣
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) October 30, 2025
“People say that you are like American Psycho. Even your friends say this … There was a comedian that said, a literal comic book villain from central casting — Patrick Bateman vibes.” pic.twitter.com/DcQazMbwvN
“I don’t know, but—” Newsom stuttered, before Karl pressed: “People say that you are like American Psycho.”
“Jesus, yeah, like I said, ‘Newscum,’ I mean—” Newsom replied, half-laughing and tagging the memes to President Donald Trump’s nickname for him.
“But even your friends, like, say that,” Karl added.
“Oh, do they?” the governor quipped. “I’m gonna re-evaluate my guest list.”
Karl then read a line from a comedian describing Newsom as “a literal comic book villain from central casting” then another – “Patrick Bateman vibes” – and a further jab for luck: “‘He definitely had someone killed or may have killed someone himself.’”
Is "Newscum" original to Trump? Maybe; it has the authentic Trumpian ring to it of making fun of people's names. "Greasy Gavin" works better for me, or at least it did until now. Knowing that 'Patrick Bateman' works better for Newsom's friends matches well with Newsom's oleaginous public persona, especially his attempts to keep changing his presentation -- of late, attempting a cheap Donald Trump impersonation on social media.
That makes Newson a world-class phony, surely. But a literary and cinematic serial-killer villain? With friends like these ...
Might there be better cinematic analogies? Crime Boss Grissom from 1989's Batman comes to mind, brought to life by the unforgettable Jack Palance:
So ... who would be Newson's "number one guy"? Don't forget your lucky deck.
Or, for slightly less lethal cinematic models, there's always Al Pellet in 1985's Summer Rental, portrayed by Richard Crenna as a foil for John Candy's struggling family man. Just picture this scene as taking place at the French Laundry rather than at the yacht club:
Or maybe it's just me, but does anyone else get Bill Lumbergh vibes from Newsom? Gary Cole portrayed the most classically self-important, phony corporate manager of all time in 1999's Office Space:
Could we call Newsom "Lumbergh" from now on? Yeah ... that'd be greeeaaat.
The possibilities here are truly endless.
More seriously, however, this points up the problem Newsom has created for himself. He's so completely insincere and phony that it's beginning to look sociopathic. Already this year, Newsom has tried to make himself into a centrist podcaster as well as a Temu Trump, and who knows what persona he'll adopt next. That's what drives the American Psycho comparisons and makes them so compelling. In both the book and the novel, the main character lost himself in false personas to such an extent that he ends up losing his grip on reality, as do viewers who have to experience the film through the eyes of a very unreliable narrator.
Perhaps the ending of American Psycho makes the comparison even more astute. "Inside doesn't matter," Bateman's interior dialogue informs the viewer. Newsom has been telling us that all along.
Editor’s Note: Help us continue to report the truth about corrupt politicians like Gavin Newsom, Adam Schiff, Kamala Harris, the Biden Politburo, Jasmine Crockett, Elizabeth Warren ... the list is endless.
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