Gavin Newsom diverges from Democrats on trans athletes in sports
In his inaugural podcast episode featuring conservative guest Charlie Kirk, the Democratic governor of California delivered surprising comments.
TroibNews 
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights who made waves years ago by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of state law, implied that Democrats have erred by allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's college and youth sports.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” Newsom stated in the first episode of his podcast “This is Gavin Newsom.” “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
His remarks came during a discussion with Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure in conservative circles, known for leading Turning Point USA and being a close ally of former President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. The topic has ignited significant political debate across the nation.
Newsom also affirmed that some of the most damaging attack ads from Trump's campaign highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for taxpayer-funded gender transition-related medical care for detained immigrants and federal inmates. “She didn’t even react to it, which was even more devastating,” he noted, suggesting that a vast majority of Americans oppose Harris’ stance. “Then you had the video [of Harris] as a validator. Brutal,” Newsom remarked. “It was a great ad.”
Kirk pressed Newsom, who is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, to take a stand against AB Hernandez, a transgender high school track star in California facing intense criticism for competing in women's events. Newsom, who has four children, including two daughters, mentioned that he and his wife participated in college sports—she in soccer and he in baseball.
“I revere sports, so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” Newsom stated. “And I saw that — the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that issue at another level.” When Kirk challenged him on the term "weaponize," Newsom modified it to "highlight."
Last month, PMG was the first to announce Newsom's new podcast, with the governor expressing that he drew inspiration from figures like HBO’s Bill Maher, who often seeks common ground with conservative opponents while critiquing Democratic orthodoxy, especially regarding youth transgender issues.
The podcast interview was notably amicable, with Newsom acknowledging the influence Kirk and other conservative activists have had on his 13-year-old son. He distanced himself from using preferred pronouns and the gender-neutral term “Latinx,” labeled police defunding as “lunacy,” denounced “cancel culture,” and recognized some internal challenges within the leadership of the Black Lives Matter movement.
This 75-minute conversation presented Newsom in a different light from previous years, when he acted as a surrogate for former President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris, often engaging in heated exchanges with figures like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Fox News host Sean Hannity.
In a light-hearted moment, Newsom joked about only dining at the renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant French Laundry—a location that garnered him criticism for attending a friends' gathering during COVID-19 lockdowns—admitting he should have chosen to celebrate at the more casual Applebee's instead.
When it came to youth transgender sports, Kirk drew out a more extensive response from Newsom. Despite the relatively low number of transgender athletes at the collegiate level, Newsom remarked that it was “easy to call out” the fairness issue, echoing concerns voiced by Republicans nationwide who argue that banning transgender women and girls from competing in sports designated for females ensures fairness.
Though he has previously expressed reservations about the matter, Newsom's podcast remarks provided a deeper insight into his views. He expressed compassion for transgender individuals, pointing out that "these poor people" experience higher rates of suicide and depression, and criticized the way vulnerable communities are often spoken to derogatorily.
However, he conceded that Kirk was correct in asserting that Republicans are leveraging the issue to paint Democrats as disconnected from the majority of Americans. Earlier in the week, Democrats in the Senate blocked a GOP-led initiative aimed at prohibiting transgender girls from participating in female sports. “I agree with you,” Newsom said. “We’re getting crushed on it. Crushed. Crushed.”
While acknowledging his leadership on LGBTQ+ rights, Newsom mentioned that even some of his friends have privately questioned why he hasn’t spoken out more on the issue of transgender athletes. He explained that the authority for transgender K-12 athletes competing in girls' and women's sports stems from a 2014 state law enacted by then-Governor Jerry Brown, which also permitted students identifying as transgender to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
Newsom drew a parallel between his stance on transgender athletes and ideological conservatives who oppose same-sex marriage on principle, stating that he appreciates Kirk and others for maintaining their opposition even as same-sex marriage has become legally and socially accepted by most Americans.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” Newsom stated in the first episode of his podcast “This is Gavin Newsom.” “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
His remarks came during a discussion with Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure in conservative circles, known for leading Turning Point USA and being a close ally of former President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. The topic has ignited significant political debate across the nation.
Newsom also affirmed that some of the most damaging attack ads from Trump's campaign highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for taxpayer-funded gender transition-related medical care for detained immigrants and federal inmates. “She didn’t even react to it, which was even more devastating,” he noted, suggesting that a vast majority of Americans oppose Harris’ stance. “Then you had the video [of Harris] as a validator. Brutal,” Newsom remarked. “It was a great ad.”
Kirk pressed Newsom, who is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, to take a stand against AB Hernandez, a transgender high school track star in California facing intense criticism for competing in women's events. Newsom, who has four children, including two daughters, mentioned that he and his wife participated in college sports—she in soccer and he in baseball.
“I revere sports, so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” Newsom stated. “And I saw that — the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that issue at another level.” When Kirk challenged him on the term "weaponize," Newsom modified it to "highlight."
Last month, PMG was the first to announce Newsom's new podcast, with the governor expressing that he drew inspiration from figures like HBO’s Bill Maher, who often seeks common ground with conservative opponents while critiquing Democratic orthodoxy, especially regarding youth transgender issues.
The podcast interview was notably amicable, with Newsom acknowledging the influence Kirk and other conservative activists have had on his 13-year-old son. He distanced himself from using preferred pronouns and the gender-neutral term “Latinx,” labeled police defunding as “lunacy,” denounced “cancel culture,” and recognized some internal challenges within the leadership of the Black Lives Matter movement.
This 75-minute conversation presented Newsom in a different light from previous years, when he acted as a surrogate for former President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris, often engaging in heated exchanges with figures like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Fox News host Sean Hannity.
In a light-hearted moment, Newsom joked about only dining at the renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant French Laundry—a location that garnered him criticism for attending a friends' gathering during COVID-19 lockdowns—admitting he should have chosen to celebrate at the more casual Applebee's instead.
When it came to youth transgender sports, Kirk drew out a more extensive response from Newsom. Despite the relatively low number of transgender athletes at the collegiate level, Newsom remarked that it was “easy to call out” the fairness issue, echoing concerns voiced by Republicans nationwide who argue that banning transgender women and girls from competing in sports designated for females ensures fairness.
Though he has previously expressed reservations about the matter, Newsom's podcast remarks provided a deeper insight into his views. He expressed compassion for transgender individuals, pointing out that "these poor people" experience higher rates of suicide and depression, and criticized the way vulnerable communities are often spoken to derogatorily.
However, he conceded that Kirk was correct in asserting that Republicans are leveraging the issue to paint Democrats as disconnected from the majority of Americans. Earlier in the week, Democrats in the Senate blocked a GOP-led initiative aimed at prohibiting transgender girls from participating in female sports. “I agree with you,” Newsom said. “We’re getting crushed on it. Crushed. Crushed.”
While acknowledging his leadership on LGBTQ+ rights, Newsom mentioned that even some of his friends have privately questioned why he hasn’t spoken out more on the issue of transgender athletes. He explained that the authority for transgender K-12 athletes competing in girls' and women's sports stems from a 2014 state law enacted by then-Governor Jerry Brown, which also permitted students identifying as transgender to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
Newsom drew a parallel between his stance on transgender athletes and ideological conservatives who oppose same-sex marriage on principle, stating that he appreciates Kirk and others for maintaining their opposition even as same-sex marriage has become legally and socially accepted by most Americans.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
