On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) launched This Is Gavin Newsom , his new political podcast that saw him breaking away from his party’s liberal stances, the first episode features him agreeing with hard-right influencer Charlie Kirk that transgender athletes should be kept out of sports.
Newsom’s podcast, which he has billed as a platform for him to converse with Republican and Trump-world figures, is widely regarded as an attempt to market himself to moderates as a centrist. Newsom’s term ends in 2026, and he is expected to run for president in 2028.
Kirk has promoted homophobia on social media, among other far-right views, claiming that the “LGBTQ agenda” harms children and advocating for legislation prohibiting gay marriage and gender-affirming care.
window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: ‘thumbnails-mid’, container: ‘taboola-mid-article-thumbnails’, placement: ‘Mid Article Thumbnails’, target_type: ‘mix’ });
Kirk, referring to an Arizona high school athlete, said, “You, right now, should come out and be like, you know what, the young man who’s about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports—that shouldn’t happen. “You, as governor, should step up and say no.”
Rather than correcting Kirk’s misgendering of the female athlete, Newsom agreed: “I believe it is a matter of fairness. I completely agree with you on this. It is a matter of fairness. It’s extremely unfair.I love sports, so the issue of fairness is entirely legitimate.”
He also claimed to Kirk that Democrats were “crushed, crushed” by the concept of transgender athletes in sports. Referring to Republicans and Kirk, Newsom said, “I saw that, the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that issue at another level.”
Newsom went on to express his general support for the LGBTQ community, claiming that transgender athletes’ rights did not overlap.
Newsom’s remarks are especially noteworthy given his previous role as a gay rights pioneer. “I’ve been a leader in the LGBTQ places, as, you know, back in 2004 [I] was marrying same-sex couples,” he told me.
He continued with Kirk: “I know we have [a] difference [of] opinion on marriage equality, and so I’ve been at this for years and years, I take a backseat to no one.”
Despite his vocal willingness to “sit this one out,” Newsom highlighted the discrimination that transgender people face, saying, “You know, that, these poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression, and the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities is an issue that I have a hard time with as well.”
Liberals across the country have sharply criticized Newsom for his “hypocritical stance.” The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement stating, “Californians – and ALL Americans – require leaders who are courageous in their convictions and will stand up for them in the face of those who want to see us all back in the closet.”
