California Governor Gavin Newsom not too long ago launched a brand new podcast and, in his first episode on Thursday, informed conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he thinks transgender women and girls taking part in in sports activities for women and girls is “deeply unfair.”
Newsom and Kirk, the Donald Trump-aligned, 31-year-old right-wing influencer finest recognized for beginning Turning Level USA to advertise conservative beliefs on school campuses, spoke for over an hour about, amongst different issues, how Democrats fumbled messaging within the 2024 election cycle and the place the pair may agree.
“I’ve received to admire what you’ve been capable of do, to not weaponize, however to arrange on these school campuses a special viewpoint,” Newsom stated earlier than noting that his newly teenage son has seen movies of Kirk on TikTok. Kirk laughs, including that the teenager may come to a Turning Level occasion in Florida.
Then, the governor asks Kirk for recommendation on how one can higher enchantment to People.
“Get higher concepts,” he responds.
“You may have a chance to run to the center … you proper now ought to come out and be like, you realize what, the younger man who’s about to win the state championship within the lengthy leap in feminine sports activities,” Kirk continued, misgendering a highschool observe participant in California. “That should not occur.”
“Proper,” Newsom stated.
“Would you do one thing like that? Would you say no males in feminine sports activities?” Kirk requested. “Effectively, I believe it is a problem of equity. I fully agree with you on that,” Newsom responded. “It’s deeply unfair.”
“So, would you converse out in opposition to this younger man?” Kirk pressed, including, “I see you wrestling with this.”
“No, I’m not wrestling with the equity,” the governor stated. “I completely agree with you.”
The governor, who’s broadly understood to be eyeing a presidential run for 2028, described his new podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” as a discussion board to “have sincere conversations” with individuals who each agree and disagree with “us.”
Newsom’s feedback come as, throughout the nation, transgender People proceed to face elevated offenses from conservative leaders in authorities, healthcare, and training—together with instantly from President Donald Trump’s administration.
In early February, Trump signed an government order barring transgender student-athletes from taking part in on women’ sports activities groups. The motion, which notably doesn’t point out transgender boys and males taking part in in sports activities that align with their gender identification, claims to “defend” ladies.
Shortly after Trump signed the order, the Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation modified its participation coverage for transgender athletes and barred anybody who wasn’t assigned feminine at beginning from taking part in women’ or ladies’s sports activities. (Some native leaders have pushed again on Trump’s order, together with the governor of Maine, who stated she would see the president “in court docket” over her state’s determination to permit transgender athletes to play on the groups they select.)
