California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) admitted to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk that the Democrats have taken wildly unpopular positions on certain issues — such as men competing in women’s sports — but will continue maintaining such losing stances as a matter of “principle.”
“I don’t mind losing. Sometimes you lose on principle,” the California governor told Kirk during Thursday’s episode of the This Is Gavin Newsom podcast.
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Newsom was specifically referring to his unwillingness to agree with Kirk that men should not compete in women’s sports, arguing that for him it is a matter of “principle,” not politics.
“I deeply am mindful of the politics of this, which are very unhelpful personally, and unhelpful more broadly and professionally to the Democratic Party and our brand,” Newsom added. “The Democratic Party brand has just been crushed.”
Kirk replied, “Your self-awareness is helpful to know because it is deeply unpopular, and I think that is an ascendant political force that is not going away.”
Earlier in their conversation, Kirk had urged Newsom to “step up” and say “no” to male athletes participating in female sports, to which the California governor replied by admitting he “completely agrees” with the TPUSA founder “on the issue of fairness.”
“It’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said, adding that, nonetheless, he cannot take the stance that biological men should not participate in women’s sports.
The governor explained his position:
On the issue of fairness, I completely agree. So that’s easy to call out — the unfairness of that. There’s also a humility and a grace that these poor people are more likely to commit suicide and 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 is inherent in you, but not always expressed on the issue? But at the same time deal with the unfairness?
“You asked a good-faith question: how do Democrats get out of the wilderness,” Kirk acknowledged, before reminding Newsom that the left’s stance on this topic is still wildly unpopular, stating, “This one is an 80/20 issue.”
Newsom conceded, replying, “I agree with you, we’re getting crushed on it.”
“Even in my own friend cohort, people say, ‘What the hell is going on? Why aren’t you calling this out? When did this happen?’” the governor noted before reiterating that he cannot bring himself to change his stance on the matter.
Kirk informed Newsom, “You guys are giving us an 80/20 issue that is just permeating the country, and it’s such an affront to our senses,” to which the governor replied, “I don’t disagree.”
The TPUSA founder went on to explain to Newsom that the difference between liberals and conservatives is, “You guys will tend to view an incident through an ‘oppress or oppressed’ lens,” and “we, as conservatives, tend to view things through right or wrong, or just or unjust.”
“And the country is going far more in our direction and away from your direction” Kirk said. “Because the problem with ‘oppress or oppressed’ is eventually, you run out of oppressors, and you start creating them out of thin air.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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