Podcast host Gavin Newsom, previous advocate for progressive policies, now critiques those same positions
Yo! Changing it up:
Since launching his new podcast a fortnight ago, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has been stirring up some controversy by taking aim at causes popular among progressives. Poking fun at the term "Latinx," voicing opposition to trans women competing in women's sports, and suggesting calls for taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for prisoners and immigrants are a dud.
But let's take a step back and examine Newsom's political history: he's got a 20-year-long record in California that tells a different story.
In the past, Newsom has been a fan of the gender-neutral term "Latinx." He's also championed several policies to expand transgender rights, including providing medical care for immigrants and signing into law a bill acknowledging the need for transition-related care for prisoners.
Now, with the Democratic Party facing record low popularity, Newsom appears to be disavowing some of these positions, squaring off against conservatives on his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom."
The first few episodes featured guests Newsom doesn't see eye-to-eye with, including the infamous Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Michael Savage, who all have a big presence in conservative media. Newsom isn't new to disputing with conservatives – a 2023 Fox News debate with Florida Governor, then-Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, comes to mind.
Newsom's podcast may be the most overt attempt to acknowledge what's broken in the Democratic Party. But it might raise some eyebrows for those who remember Newsom's progressive past – like when he defied court orders by issuing same-sex marriage licenses as San Francisco mayor, or celebrated California's law allowing trans student athletes to compete in sports that align with their gender in 2014, and applauded the failure of a 2020 Republican-led campaign to repeal the law.
In 2020, Newsom signed a bill expanding rights for transgender prisoners, and California's Medicaid program, approved under Newsom in 2021, provides taxpayer-funded gender transition surgery for citizens. But don't expect Newsom to own up to any of this on his podcast.
In a move that threw some fans off guard, Newsom declared on the podcast that no one in his office has ever used "Latinx," dismissing the term as an "out-of-touch fixation." However, archives show Newsom using the term more than once, both in press briefings and on social media.
If Newsom's true goal is to appeal to a broader audience, his critics argue that he may end up alienating his former base. Will it pay off? Only time will tell.
- Despite his recent criticism of the term "Latinx" on his podcast, archives show that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California has used the term more than once, both in press briefings and on social media.
- Governor Newsom's podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," has raised some eyebrows among his supporters, as he seems to be disavowing some of his progressive positions from the past, such as his support for the use of the term "Latinx."
- Some critics argue that Newsom's shift in rhetoric on his podcast, including his dismissal of the term "Latinx," could potentially alienate his former base and raise questions about his commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, a key part of his political history.
