On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched his new podcast, This is Gavin Newsom. His first guest? Notorious anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Charlie Kirk. The episode covered a wide range of grievances Kirk and other far-right activists have with Newsom, touching on topics from Black Lives Matter to COVID policies. However, the issue of transgender rights surfaced repeatedly. At one point, Newsom stated he was "completely aligned" with Kirk on transgender participation in sports. He also appeared to express agreement with restrictions on medical care for incarcerated transgender people and limits on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.

The conversation first turned to transgender athletes when Charlie Kirk referenced a transgender athlete in California, stating, "You, as the governor, should step out and say no, no." Newsom responded, "Right… I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It’s deeply unfair," later adding, "Boy did I see how you guys were able to weaponize that issue." Kirk pushed back, insisting he wasn’t "weaponizing" the issue. Newsom quickly walked back his comment, replying, "You’re right." He then later said that he “agreed” with Charlie Kirk that it was not right transgender athletes should play and that he was “completely aligned” with Charlie Kirk on this issue, blaming a law put in place before he became governor: “It turns out in 2014, years before I was governor, there was a law established that established the legal principles that allow trans athletes in women’s sports. The issue of fairness is completely legit. I completely align with you, we have to acknowledge it.”

The conversation didn’t stop there. Charlie Kirk quickly pivoted to other transgender issues, bringing up Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for incarcerated transgender people. Newsom agreed that the Kamala is for they/them ads were politically damaging, calling them "devastating." When asked about transgender incarcerated people, Newsom responded, "This was even more challenging… because this is issues of people who are incarcerated getting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment… that is a 90/10 [issue]," referring to how he believes such policies poll. He also appeared frustrated that Harris "was in the video and expressed support."

At the close of the podcast, Charlie Kirk shifted the discussion to transgender healthcare, stating, "I encourage you to learn about the butchery that is happening under chemical castration in this state. The American people are overwhelmingly against it." Newsom responded, "Yeah. I think we have to be more sensitized to that."