Newsom’s remarks about trans athletes has some Democrats ‘sickened and frustrated’
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Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Newsom criticizes ‘unfairness’ of trans athletes competing in women’s sports.
- L.A. rain timeline: Another storm hits, with more wet conditions next week.
- Meltdowns, nightmares and regressions: The L.A. fires are taking a traumatic toll on kids.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom has a new podcast — and a new political firestorm.
In the first episode of “This is Gavin Newsom,” the governor hosted conservative commentator and MAGA activist Charlie Kirk. During their conversation, Newsom called transgender women’s participation in women’s sports “deeply unfair” and said Democrats were getting “crushed” on the issue.
“Newsom, who shared his own critiques of his party, spent more time agreeing with the right-wing figure and offering his appreciation for his perspective than debating their opposing views,” my colleagues Taryn Luna and Phil Willon reported. “The approach aligns with the governor’s recent retreat from his role during the election as a fighter for Democratic values and a top GOP critic as he seeks to maintain a respectful relationship with Trump.”
Newsom was met with a mix of praise and criticism, including from fellow state Democrats who accused the governor of abandoning a vulnerable minority group. Political analysts see Newsom’s latest deviation as another indication he plans to run for president in 2028.
What exactly did Newsom say?
Kirk brought up transgender athletes, arguing that it’s unfair for people born biologically male to compete against biological females and that Democrats’ stance on the issue is out of touch with most Americans.
Here’s the concise part of the exchange that followed (you can listen for yourself here):
Kirk: Would you say no men in female sports?
Newsom: Well, 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.
Kirk: Would you speak out against ... AB Hernandez, who right now is going to win the [California] state championship in the long jump? I can see you wrestling with it.
Newsom: No, I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you. … I revere sports, and so the issue of fairness is completely legit. And I saw that the last couple of years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that.”
Newsom couched his critique by adding: “I don’t want to walk away from this principle because of its electoral (unpopularity).”
He also acknowledged the struggles that trans people face, telling Kirk: “There’s also a humility and a grace 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.”
Criticism is one thing, but policy is another. I asked Newsom’s office if the governor believes the state’s current rules that ensure transgender athletes can participate in gendered sports that align with their identity should be reexamined.
A spokesperson for the governor did not respond directly to the question.
“The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect,” representatives from Newsom’s office told me. “He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies.”
Criticism from some California Democrats was swift
In a joint statement as chair and vice chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, state Assemblymember Chris Ward and Sen. Caroline Menjivar said they were “profoundly sickened and frustrated” by Newsom’s remarks, which they called “Anti-Transgender.”
“All students deserve the academic and health benefits of sports activity, and until Donald Trump began obsessing about it, playing on a team consistent with one’s gender has not been a problem since the standard was passed in 2013,” they wrote.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) also released a statement, first acknowledging that Newsom “has had many courageous moments over the decades supporting LGBTQ people.”
“This is not one of those moments. Charlie Kirk is a vile bigot, and standing with him on this issue is profoundly disturbing,” Wiener added. “The Republican strategy to eliminate trans people is to create fake moral panics — to falsely paint trans people as threats.”
Transgender athletes have become a focal point of MAGA politics
Trump mentioned transgender Americans more than once in his State of the Union address Tuesday, at one point encouraging Congress “to pass a bill permanently banning, criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.”
On Monday, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that aimed to ban transgender students from girls’ and women’s sports.
Last month the NCAA issued a policy change that bans transgender women from competing in college women’s sports. NCAA President Charlie Baker told a Senate committee late last year that there were “less than 10” known transgender athletes in the NCAA.
At the high school level, national estimates analyzed by UCLA’s Williams Institute put the number of transgender athletes around 122,000. The latest survey from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) found more than 8 million U.S. students participated in high school sports last academic year. Based on those estimates, transgender youth make up roughly 1.5% of high school athletes.
Today’s top stories
Should babies get a ‘bonus dose’ of the measles vaccine?
- After the first pediatric measles death in the U.S. in decades, many worried parents are seeking early vaccines for their babies.
- Although the vaccine is safe for older infants, it is more effective in toddlers.
- Experts say most American infants don’t need a bonus dose unless they travel abroad or live near an outbreak.
Trump’s 1% policy wars: Transgender people, USAID funding and now Canadian fentanyl?
- President Trump has targeted Canada over fentanyl, despite less than 1% of fentanyl seizures occurring on the northern border; transgender people, who account for just over 1% of the U.S. population; and USAID funding, which accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget.
- Republicans have largely backed the president, but Democrats and other critics have lambasted the president for his focus, accusing him of stoking fear with serious negative consequences and little benefit, other than political points.
What else is going on
- L.A. rain timeline: Another storm hits, with more wet conditions next week.
- Wildfires. Sex abuse lawsuits. Trump. L.A. County’s budget is under “enormous” pressure.
- San José mayor proposes jailing homeless people who repeatedly refuse shelter.
- Technology wasn’t responsible for west Altadena alert failures, according to the company that provides L.A. County with emergency alert software.
- SoCal immigrants and allies can learn what to do when ICE shows up. Here’s how.
- Many U.S. Olympians struggle to get by. Now they’ll get a $100,000 retirement boost.
- National park visits hit a record high last year, the National Park Service reports as it endures deep cuts.
- KTLA taps Melvin Robert to take over ‘Morning News’ post of the late Sam Rubin.
- Roy Ayers, the jazz-soul legend whose music was heavily sampled by younger artists, has died at 84.
- In a dizzying reversal, Trump pauses tariffs on most Mexican products.
- Homeless deaths in L.A. County are leveling off but still nearly seven per day.
- Hunter Biden’s lawsuit is in jeopardy after his rental home was damaged in the Palisades fire and as financial woes mount.
- Tesla takes a step toward robotaxi services in California. What to know.
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Commentary and opinions
- Did AI really defend the KKK at the end of my column? Let’s discuss, columnist Gustavo Arellano writes.
- Why this Puritan sculpture may revolutionize your thinking about the rise of Christian nationalism, art critic Christopher Knight writes.
- There’s no getting around it: What Britain really needs is more Americans, writes guest columnist Charlotte Lytton.
- How federally funded research saved my son’s sight — and his life — from a rare cancer, guest columnist Dayna Copeland writes.
This morning’s must reads
Meltdowns, nightmares and regressions: The L.A. fires are taking a traumatic toll on kids. In the two months since the fires, children have been experiencing meltdowns, sleep issues and separation anxiety. For the youngest fire victims, this can include returning to earlier stages in their development, said Gregory Leskin, a psychologist and program director with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network at UCLA.
Other must reads
- How a law to ban homeless encampments threw a California city into chaos.
- Carrie Underwood returns to ‘American Idol’ in the TikTok era. Can it still thrive?
- From Ben Affleck to Seth Rogen, Hollywood finds a ‘spiritual home’ at SXSW.
- One of the world’s best restaurants is launching its own coffee delivered to your door.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
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Have a great day, from the Essential California team
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