Gavin Newsom Reflects on Controversial Remarks During Podcast
Gavin Newsom seemed to backtrack on some controversial comments made by his press team during a recent interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. The discussion, which took place on Shapiro’s podcast, covered a range of contentious issues, including immigration policies, political language, and gender identity.
One of the most heated moments occurred when Shapiro brought up a case described by Newsom’s office as “state-sponsored terrorism.” This referred to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis, a case that ignited a national debate about law enforcement and its tactics regarding immigration enforcement.
“I’ve seen news outlets use that term—state-sponsored terrorism,” Shapiro noted, challenging the portrayal of federal agents in this light.
“Our ICE agents are clearly not terrorists,” he asserted.
Newsom appeared to agree, stating, “Yeah, I think that’s fair.” He also clarified that he does not support the abolition of ICE, which raised eyebrows and led critics to highlight his apparent discord with his communication team’s messaging.
The conversation then shifted to education, where Shapiro pressed Newsom on beliefs regarding biological sex and its discussion in public schools. Shapiro pointed out concerns over children undergoing social transitions at school without parental knowledge. He posed a fundamental question about whether a boy could become a girl.
Newsom hesitated, replying, “Well…well, I think so…by the grace of God…yes.”
This quizzical response led Shapiro to question why the governor found it so tough to respond decisively.
Newsom noted, “We’re talking about a very small number of people,” emphasizing the intense “hate and bigotry” surrounding the issue.
Shapiro rejected that framing, asserting that his views were not founded in hatred or discrimination. He argued, “It’s not an act of bigotry to say boys can’t be girls, and I shouldn’t be teaching my kids that boys can be girls in K-12 public schools. It’s a matter of rationality and biological simplicity.”
Despite his attempts at clarification, Newsom did not provide a straightforward answer during the back-and-forth.
In addition, Newsom seemed uncomfortable when Shapiro lauded President Trump, calling him the greatest foreign policy president in recent history. Shapiro pressed for reasons behind Newsom’s failure to significantly cut income taxes for Californians. He claimed Newsom’s rhetoric about Trump potentially running again in 2028 was troubling and suggested that Newsom didn’t truly believe his own statements. Nevertheless, Newsom stood firm in his assertions.
