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Gavin Newsom has suggested he may run for president in 2028 – here’s why that isn’t good news for trans people. The Democratic California governor said his Oval Office ambitions are still up in the air, but that he would “be lying otherwise” to suggest he wasn’t considering it. Speaking to CBS News on Sunday (26 October) morning, the 58-year-old suggested he would likely decide on whether to put forward his bid for the White House after the 2026 midterm elections, but noted that the decision was still years away. Newsom’s term as governor ends in 2027 and, due to federal laws on term limits, he is unable to seek re-election. While his vocal opposition to president Donald Trump’s actions and rhetoric, particularly regarding his recent deployment of the National Guard, have cemented him as a prominent voice Democratic Party, his track-record on LGBTQ+ rights could, and should, cause concern. Over the past year, Newsom has U-turned on his support for several aspects of LGBTQ+ rights, particularly trans rights. A day prior he commented on a potential presidential run, Newsom reiterated his belief that trans people should be excluded from gendered sporting events. In March, the governor faced backlash for hosting right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk on the first episode of his podcast. During the discussion, Newsom said he felt it was “deeply unfair” to allow trans women and girls, including K-12 student athletes, the right to compete in women’s sports leagues. Addressing the backlash on Saturday, he told Californian outlet KQED that he still believes trans people, even those as young as five, should be excluded from competing in leagues consistent with their gender identity. “Whe it comes to sports, that’s impacting other people’s rights. It’s different,” he argued. “I agree on the issue of fairness in that respect, that it is unfair in these circumstances, and I haven’t been able to reconcile it.” There is no conclusive evidence that suggests trans women have an inherent advantage against cisgender women in physical sporting events. Gavin Newsom has vetoed vital trans rights bills Despite heralding himself as an LGBTQ+ ally, Gavin Newsom has made harmful political decisions that impact trans people directly. During September of that year, Newsom tragically vetoed a California bill that, if passed, would have ensured that state courts considered a parent’s or guardian’s views on LGBTQ+ rights during custody disputes. Attempting to justify his decision in a veto message reported by Politico at the time, Newsom said he believed the bill, which received bipartisan support, could have implications “to dictate – in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic – legal challenges,” for judges to apply. Earlier this month, after facing backlash for his recent comments on trans sports, Newsom rejected a state bill which, if passed, would have allowed trans people and anyone on hormone medication to maintain a 12-month supply of their medication. The bill, designed to protect trans Californians from import issues faced by the Trump Administration’s crackdown on gender-affirming care, passed with huge majorities earlier in the year before being blocked by Newsom, who claimed the bill could have implications for healthcare costs in the state. Those concerns were disproved by journalist Erin Reed, who said that hormone therapy is “among the least expensive forms of prescription medication” in the US. She noted that estradiol tablets – feminising hormone medication – typically costs under $20 for a 90-day supply, while Testosterone medication, while pricier, is still just $100-$150 per month. Gavin Newsom accused of courting right-wing votes In the last year, since the debut of his podcast, Gavin Newsom has been accused of attempting to court conservative votes by platforming notable right-wing and far-right pundits. As well as hosting anti-LGBTQ+ right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk, Newsom has also hosted Trump’s disgraced former strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist during the president’s first term, remains incredibly influential among the populist right, and has served jail time over his refusal to cooperate with an investigation into the deadly January 6 insurrection on the US capitol. Months before Newsom hosted Bannon on his podcast, the right-wing pundit escaped jail time over charges of fraud related to private attempts to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. Newsom’s willingness to engage with anti-LGBTQ+ actors has, rightly, garnered intense condemnation from LGBTQ+ voters, groups, and organisations. In her article on supporting trans youth, writer Kathleen Nichole O’Neal criticised Newsom’s attempts to simaltaneously cast himself as an LGBTQ+ rights champion while engaging with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. “Newsom shouldn’t be able to get away with framing himself as a hero for the LGBTQ+ community (as he will inevitably try to do if he runs for president in 2028) if his support doens’t extend to those transgender youth,” O’Neal wrote. “They are among the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community and are far more in need of empowerment and affirmation than the wealthy and politically connected lesbian and gay adults that constitute part of Newsom’s donor class.” Newsom has insisted he is still a friend of the LGBTQ+ community. In his interview with KQED, he denied throwing trans people under the bus, adding that he has a “godson, who is trans.” Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
