Gavin Newsom
Governor of California · Democratic Party
Mostly straight talk
Bluff24%Spin17%
Our model rated these statements. Lower is better.
Against the field
Gavin Newsom
Democratic · US
20
Lowest BS Index of 9
Mostly straight talk
BS Index · 20Lower is better
0 · straight talk50
Accuracy · 76% of checked claims hold upHigher is better
0%100%
Answers · 83% of questions answered straightHigher is better
0%100%
Tap a name or a photo to compare someone else. The dashed line is the middle of the group. Our model rated these statements.
Five Tells
Our model rated this
Unsupported claims
24%
Checked claims that did not hold up (partly supported counts as half)
Self-contradictions
–
Not checked yet
Dodged questions
17%
Questions not answered straight (partly answered or openly declined counts as half)
Emotional appeal
12%
Emotional passages used in place of an answer or evidence, or off the subject. Emotion that fits the subject is not counted
Vague answers Shown, not scored
–
Not measured yet
Each spoke shows how often it happened: further out means more often. The BS Index goes up with the first four; a hollow dot is context only and does not change the score.
What makes up the score
DefinitionsAccuracy76%
Checked claims that hold upadds 11.9 of 50.0
Partly supported“He all but called for a genocide of 93 million people.”
Speech, 23 Sep 2026 · Mother Jones · Foreign Policy
Partly supported“the fourth-largest economy in the world, a state larger than 21 state populations combined.”
Speech, 23 Sep 2026 · Office of the Governor of California · KFI AM 640
Supported“a state that’s 27% foreign-born, where we practice pluralism.”
Speech, 23 Sep 2026 · USAFacts
Answers questions83%
Questions answered straightadds 8.6 of 50.0
AnsweredQ: “... who had to work three jobs to keep things afloat.”
CNN State of the Union interview with Dana Bash: his memoir and 2028, 22 Feb 2026 · transcript
AnsweredQ: “Yes. I mean, you talk about that grit. You talk about your mom giving you that grit and your dad teaching you other things like the love of the outdoo…”
CNN State of the Union interview with Dana Bash: his memoir and 2028, 22 Feb 2026 · transcript
AnsweredQ: “"I kept holding onto her hand tighter and tighter and sobbing."”
CNN State of the Union interview with Dana Bash: his memoir and 2028, 22 Feb 2026 · transcript
ConsistencyNot checked
No unacknowledged contradictionsshown, not in the score
Contradiction checks start once more of the record is in. Until then this measure is left out, not counted as perfect.
Substance88%
Emotion that comes with substanceshown, not in the score
26 emotional passages labelled, 3 flagged as deflecting. Needs 20.
Bluff and spin
11.9 + 8.6 = 20.5Bluff24%Spin17%
Bluff counts claims that do not hold up. Spin counts questions not answered straight. Each is out of 50, and together they make the BS Index.
How the number is built
11.9 + 8.6 = 20.5Bluff = 50 × (1 − Accuracy 76%) = 11.9
Spin = 50 × (1 − Answers questions 83%) = 8.6
BS Index = Bluff + Spin = 20.5 → shown as 20
The same fixed weights for everyone. Consistency and Substance are shown alongside, never in the number.
Scored transcripts
All 12
Speech
No questions – Interview
18 questions 21 Interview
9 questions – Interview
13 questions – Interview
24 questions 19
Remarks at the United Nations climate event
Office of the Governor of California (gov.ca.gov) · 23 Sep 2026
56 sentences · 7 checked claimsNo questions – Interview
CNN State of the Union interview with Dana Bash: his memoir and 2028
CNN: State of the Union transcript · 22 Feb 2026
271 sentences · 21 checked claims18 questions 21 Interview
Questions at the World Economic Forum, Davos
Rev (transcription service) · 22 Jan 2026
255 sentences · 19 checked claims9 questions – Interview
CNN State of the Union interview with Jake Tapper
CNN: State of the Union transcript · 9 Nov 2025
214 sentences · 38 checked claims13 questions – Interview
Meet the Press interview
NBC News: Meet the Press transcript · 2 Nov 2025
273 sentences · 15 checked claims24 questions 19