Gavin Newsom has Talarico Moment with Phony Fly Fishing Stunt

California Governor Gavin Newsom just had a “Talarico” moment of inauthenticity, of epic proportions.

Poor James Talarico is trying so hard to convince Texans that he is one of them: rugged, manly, outdoorsy, carnivore, and a guy who might swoon at Sydney Sweeney as she saunters by.

But if the boot doesn’t fit, you probably should not force your foot into it.

In a ad, titled “Waking Up,” Talarico, who usually drives a Chevy Colorado, is seen driving a Dodge Ram 1500 – a rented Dodge Ram 1500. You can see the plate, which is linked to an Enterprise rental, David Weigel reported on X.

The cringe factor is off the charts. Cringy as fake hunter Tim Walz, who looked like Elmer Fudd in a new Carhartt shirt, as he struggled to load his shotgun, despite repeatedly telling audiences that he is a “hunter.”

Gavin Newsom just delivered his own cringe factor video, pretending to be fly fishing with Jake Tapper.

Fly fishing. It’s not something you can pretend to be experienced at. Fly fishing – it’s what real guys do.

Kenny Webster summed up the scene artfully on X:

CNN interviews Gavin Newsom… while fly fishing… w/ Yellowstone style music playing in the background… and 3 camera men, 2 sound guys, and a makeup team Everything is designed to trick your emotions. Gavin is an alpha male and Jake Tapper is a real journalist. This is very authentic and you’re not being tricked.

Only Newsom is wearing jeans. Not waders. He never even puts the line in the water. He holds the fly rod and looks down, acting as if he’s untangling line.

Newsom was appropriately savaged on X:

“Absolutely no fly fishing is happening in this video… spin casters stand further apart than these 2 are with fly rods.”

“Two rubes showed up looking like they rented ‘Western authenticity’ for the afternoon and then immediately proved they cannot cast a fly rod.”

“You seriously think Gavin is an alpha male? And that Jake is a real journalist?”

“Is there anything that says ‘out of touch with working class people of America’ more than standing in water pretending to be fly fishing?”

“Shin deep in the golf course coy pond. I bet Jake ties his own marshmallow flies.”

“They ran out and bought Jake a new shirt with birds on it. Gavin’s shirt looks like the Armani line of outdoor activities.”

“I’ll take ‘Things that were staged for $800 Alex’.”

“I’ve never seen two men talk that much and fly fish that close…”

“What do men do? Fly fish? Then I shall fly fish as well. Izzy — bring me my casual dress slacks and brand new waders!”

CNN interviews Gavin Newsom… while fly fishing… w/ Yellowstone style music playing in the background… and 3 camera men, 2 sound guys, and a makeup team

Everything is designed to trick your emotions. Gavin is an alpha male and Jake Tapper is a real journalist. This is very… https://t.co/nmrcSQm9IB

— Kenny Webster (@KennethRWebster) September 15, 2026

What is it with politicians that think they need to be “regular?”

I can answer that – they hate having to mix with the unwashed masses, because they rarely ever have to. So when the polls tell them that they have an authenticity problem, they start wearing plaid shirts and visiting black churches in the South.

They also:

roll up their shirt sleeves:

take a casual jog…

Or more accurately in this SNL skit about Clinton’s jogging and fast food binges:

Some moments are funny because they’re scripted. Others are funny because nobody can keep a straight face.

This is peak old school comedy the timing, the expressions, the effortless chemistry, and that completely chaotic energy. You don’t even need a complicated setup when the… pic.twitter.com/Y5KStmboZv

— Keshvibez (@keshvibezTV) September 7, 2026

They eat regular guy BBQ at the fair while wearing a Lone Star button up:

What the hell is he eating?

It’s not BBQ—because Talarico is passionately anti-meat.

Is that a tofu log? https://t.co/J9Uvch1RY7

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 27, 2026

Carry hot sauce in their handbags:

Take a tour of NASA:

Regular guy Gavin Newsom says he won’t run for president if Kamala runs, while out fly fishing with Jake Tapper. Like that really happened? The real conversation with Tapper likely took place over Rombauer Chardonnay and a charcuterie board. 

As Megan Barth said Monday at the Globe, “He said all of this in a river. Californians are still waiting for a bullet train on dry land, while being told the governor is focused on the job he already has.”

“So the deal is this: if Kamala’s in the water, Gavin drops the rod. If she isn’t, he keeps casting.”

A few more random thoughts from X:

“Typical Democrats trying to win male votes while simultaneously making themselves look more weak and feminine.”

“We all just gonna ignore the fact that he just said ‘zen diagram?’”

“He literally set up a scripted interview just to pretend to be the good guy bowing out of a race he knew he was going to get destroyed in. And of course Jake was the fake news media he called to do it.”

“Just normal men doing men shit.”

Yeah, Gavin is so authentic.