California Governor Gavin Newsom is attempting to reposition himself as a moderate Democrat by downplaying the party’s obsession with pronouns, identity politics, and cultural issues. In a February 23, 2026, interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Newsom said Democrats need to be “more culturally normal” and focus on “table talk issues” like electricity bills and childcare costs rather than spending “a disproportionate amount of time on pronouns and identity politics.”
Newsom, widely seen as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, is clearly trying to appeal to voters in swing states who have grown weary of extreme social policies. Yet Newsom’s legislative record tells a different story. He signed legislation making California the first “sanctuary state” for gender-confused minors seeking medical transition. He approved the Menstrual Equity for All Act requiring menstrual products in male school bathrooms. He mandated that student ID cards include contact information for the radical Trevor Project and signed bills speeding up name changes for minors pursuing gender transitions.
Newsom also signed the California Freedom to Read Act, which prevents local communities from removing books with explicit sexual content or LGBT themes from school libraries. He has defended biological males competing in girls’ sports and repeatedly positioned California as a national leader in advancing transgender policies.
While Newsom now claims these issues should not dominate the party’s agenda, his actions have consistently promoted the very ideology he is now trying to distance himself from. This calculated shift illustrates how leading Democrats are attempting to soften their image after major electoral losses, while their underlying commitment to redefining sex, undermining parental rights, and eroding traditional family structures remains unchanged.