Is there a new Gavin Newsom? – Daily News
Politically, the California Governor who proudly led the opposition to President Trump in his first term, debated leading Republicans on Fox News, and purchased advertisements opposing Republican policy in red states, suddenly is sounding a lot different.
The latest example exploded this week when Newsom hosted his new podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom” in which he argued that transgender men competing in women sports was “deeply unfair.”
This is the same Gavin Newsom who, as mayor of San Francisco, launched his national political profile twenty years ago by ordering same-sex marriages and more recently demonstrated support for the transgender community throughout his governorship. In the same podcast that Newsom agreed that transgender men did not belong in women sports he added that the transgender community had to be treated with “humility and grace” while dealing with the sports issue.
This latest seeming reversal of opinion comes a little more than a month after the governor cozied up to President Trump. After Trump won election, Newsom called a special session of the legislature to authorize funds to oppose Trump’s actions as president. Positions can change in politics. Trump’s rhetoric often changes on major issues day to day.
But why is Newsom seemingly creating a new persona in 2025?
Critics will argue that Newsom is interested in running for president in 2028 and is moving toward the center where more elections are won.
Newsom defenders see him as being a realist. His softening tone to the president was needed, they argue, because of federal assistance required to help fund the fixes for the devasting Southern California wildfires. Newsom, who rallied the legislature to sue the president, now says he can work with him.
Supporters also point out that Newsom recognizes the volatile issue of transgenders helped sink the presidential ambitions of former Vice President Kamala Harris, especially the effective and legendary political television ad that ended, “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.” Trump continues to pound the issue signing an executive order banning transgender men from competing in college sports.
So, are we witnessing a Gavin Newsom 2.0, or a clever political shape-shifter?
Newsom faced immediate backlash from LBGTQ+ advocates and Democratic elected officials. One problem with the news headlines that claim Newsom broke with Democrats on this issue is that he didn’t—not rank and file Democrats, anyway. While Democratic leaders may have different views than Newsom on transgender athletes, Democratic voters agree with him according to polls. Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats say transgender male athletes should stay clear of women sports.
Newsom is proud of his record of jumping ahead of political movements such as on the same-sex marriage issue. Is he doing that again, albeit in a different direction?
Are his latest moves made in the spirit of a guide trying to lead his fellow Democrats out of the forest of disapproval?
Or is it a throwback to the triangulation policies associated with President Bill Clinton when a politician adopts an idea of political opponents to shield against attacks from the other side?
Newsom may simply be practicing smart politics.
There is plenty of time between now and the presidential primaries. Watching Newsom’s actions and words will be clear markers to his motives. The true test will come if in the presidential campaign of 2028 some of Newsom’s positions depend on which way the political winds are blowing at that time.
Joel Fox is a senior fellow at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Public Policy
