California Governor Gavin Newsom recently opened up, albeit carefully, about his ex-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle’s dramatic political transformation, and let’s just say, he didn’t exactly sound surprised. Appearing on the Shawn Ryan Show in July 2025, Newsom responded to the question that’s been on everyone’s mind for years: How did a former progressive prosecutor and First Lady of San Francisco end up as a firebrand in Donald Trump’s inner circle?
Host Shawn Ryan didn’t dance around it. “How did your ex-wife wind up with Trump Jr.?” he asked directly, that echoed the collective bewilderment of millions. Newsom let out a laugh which was part disbelief, part resignation, before offering his take. “I know,” he said, shaking his head. “First Lady of San Francisco…” Then came the gut punch: “When Roger Ailes hired her to go on Fox… she just changed.”
For those unfamiliar with her pre-MAGA résumé, Guilfoyle had built a reputation as a tough, articulate prosecutor in San Francisco before becoming a rising Democratic star’s spouse. Her 2006 pivot to Fox News, starting as a legal analyst and eventually co-hosting The Five, was a stark left-to-right turn, one that, according to Newsom, rewired her completely.
“In some ways, if you go on Fox, you have to put a mask on — and your face grows into it,” Newsom explained. “Otherwise, you’re not gonna last. But her face grew into it.”
He wasn’t just talking about makeup.
Newsom suggested that the longer Guilfoyle stayed on the network, the more she leaned into the persona expected of her, one tailored to thrive in the Trump-era media ecosystem. “And she certainly, in return, has been loyal to him,” he said, referencing Donald Trump. “That developed trust with the family and, long-windedly, I guess, the relationship with Junior.”
Well, this is Kimberly Guilfoyle. From her time as Gavin Newsom’s wife (div. 2006) via the Trump family (Donald Fox Jr’s partner for six years to last year) to her nomination as the Trump Admin’s ambassador to Greece … 🤷🏻♀️#USPolitics pic.twitter.com/nKoeAHwfJx
— Miriam Cosic (@miriamcosic) June 24, 2025
Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. dated for about six years before ending their relationship in 2024. During that time, she became one of the loudest voices in the MAGA machine, regularly speaking at rallies, campaign events, and conservative conferences with high-decibel enthusiasm.
A clip from the podcast segment quickly made the rounds on TikTok, where it racked up more than 30,000 likes. Users dissected Newsom’s calm delivery, interpreting it as a diplomatic way of saying exactly what he meant, without getting too messy. “He’s saying she sold out,” one commenter wrote. Another joked, “Her face was distorted by Fox — literally and figuratively.”
Did Kimberly Guilfoyle dump Don Jr. for cheating on her?
She was noticeably absent at Donald’s victory party.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) November 11, 2024
Others applauded the governor for keeping it classy despite how personal the topic is. There were no jabs about her appearance, no bitter ex energy, just a restrained but cutting acknowledgment of the shift that still seems hard for many to wrap their heads around.
For his part, Newsom seemed more amused than bitter. But his comments could bring a larger point; that the media machine she stepped into didn’t just shape her career; it may have redefined her entirely.
