Newsom faces fiery backlash after talking ‘issue of fairness’ with transgender inclusion in women’s sports

California Gov. Gavin Newsom came under fire Thursday over comments he made about transgender inclusion in women’s and girls sports on the debut episode of his podcast.

Newsom was asked by guest Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative who founded Turning Point USA, about the issue on the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast.

“The young man who’s about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn’t happen,” Kirk said. “You, as the governor, should step out and say no. Would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female 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 told Kirk. “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”

Kirk further pressed Newsom on whether he would condemn the recent victory of a transgender track athlete with a more than 40-foot jump at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California. Newsom didn’t directly address the win but said “it’s a fairness issue.”

“So, that’s easy to call out the unfairness of that,” he said. “There’s also a humility and a grace. … 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.

“So, both things I can hold in my hand. How can we address this issue with the kind of decency that I think, you know, is inherent in you but not always expressed on the issue?”

Newsom, who agreed the issue was something the Democratic Party gets “crushed on,” faced criticism from conservatives and liberals for his comments.

While Newsom said he agreed with Kirk on there being a “fairness” issue when it came to trans inclusion in women’s sports, California has resisted President Donald Trump’s “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order that bars biological males from girls and women’s sports.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said last month it would continue to allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s and girls sports, citing state law.

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“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” a CIF statement said at the time.

Fox News Digital reacted out to the CIF for its reaction to Newsom’s latest comments.

Riley Gaines, the former NCAA athlete who hosts OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast and has championed fairness in women’s sports, was among the conservatives who spoke out.

Prominent LGBTQ advocates also took swipes at Newsom.

“Gavin Newsom knows that the trans youth in sports issue is a ridiculous, rightwing propaganda effort. He knows this is powered by anti-trans hatred, not reason,” Charlotte Clymer wrote on X. “And yet, he still chose to endorse attacks on trans youth to bolster his national profile for a 2028 presidential run.

“He chose to treat trans youth as disposable bargaining chips in his effort to pander to anti-trans conservatives. He has decided that trans youth, one of the most vulnerable groups in the country, are fair game. And he did so in an interview with Charlie Kirk, who has spent his career dehumanizing trans people for sport. It is difficult to overstate how thoroughly cynical, self-serving, and cruel this is.”

California Assemblymember Chris Ward and Sen. Caroline Menjivar also released a joint statement. They are the chair and vice chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.

“Sometimes Gavin Newsom goes for the Profile in Courage, sometimes not. We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks,” they said, via KCRA-TV. “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.”

Earlier this week, Senate Democrats blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from breaking a filibuster. The bill received 51 votes but needed 60 to clear a procedural hurdle.

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

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