In 2008, California voters approved plans to build a high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco, a roughly 500-mile stretch that would be <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-in-california/">covered</a> in less than three hours. The project, pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, was a major investment from the state and federal government, promising to kickstart the development of high-speed rail in the United States. 
That was more than 16 years ago. Since then, the estimated cost for the project has skyrocketed while the initial goal for the length of the high-speed rail has shrunk. Now, the Trump administration is <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">threatening</a> to pull all federal funding for the project, saying that the state has “not laid a single high-speed track.” In 2010, the project was awarded $929 million from the federal government, and just last year, under the Biden administration, the high-speed rail project received another <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/12/05/news-release-high-speed-rail-authority-to-receive-record-3-1-billion-from-biden-administration/?fbclid=IwAR32NHBuP8XAOTtGOnQwVzIbtBoaX9Ac2pH_jreJWIUcInwUE5zB8APlLGs">$3.1 billion</a>. 
According to a 2023 <a href="https://calmatters.org/economy/2023/03/california-high-speed-rail/">report</a> from Cal Matters, the estimated cost for completing just a fraction of the total project is now higher than the original $33 billion estimate that voters approved for the L.A. to San Francisco route. Completing the whole project, which the state says will “eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations,” is estimated to cost up to $128 billion, leaving California around $100 billion short in funding, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/high-speed-rail">Los Angeles Times</a>.
The first phase of California’s high-speed rail plan is much smaller than the original goal to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles. Currently, the state is still trying to build a 119-mile track connecting Merced to Bakersfield, called the &#8220;initial operating segment&#8221; or &#8220;early operating segment.&#8221; California is targeting a 2033 finish date for this first step, but the Trump administration <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">argues</a> that the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) doesn&#8217;t have &#8220;a viable path&#8221; to accomplish this first-phase goal by the deadline, let alone the 800-mile high-speed rail.
Newsom said last month that workers have begun the first phase of the project, “laying the tracks to get to where they start to lay the tracks.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a technical way of actually doing the development in phases, so real tracks are being laid, and the formal track that will be the first-in-the-nation high-speed rail track is about to take place,&#8221; the governor added. 
<div id="attachment_929263" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929263" class="wp-image-929263 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A cherry picker during the construction of a high-speed rail project in Madera County, California, US, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy poured cold water on Newsom&#8217;s hopes on Wednesday, <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1930265652553531425">saying</a> that his department “has found that the California high speed rail project is in default of its federal grant awards totaling $4 billion.” 
“Here’s the cold, hard truth — there’s no viable path to complete the rail project on time or on budget,” Duffy added. “California is on notice — If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve @POTUS’ vision of building great, big, beautiful things again.”
Duffy’s announcement comes on the back of a months-long Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) investigation into the CHSRA. In its review, the FRA <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">found</a> that California “does not have a viable path to complete” the project by the 2033 target date, adding that “CHSRA has at least a $7 billion funding gap to complete the EOS [Early Operating Segment] with no credible plan to secure additional funds.” 
So what happened to this major project? According to the Trump administration, the CHSRA’s “mistakes and mismanagement” have raised a “reasonable question about whether continued Federal investment in the CHSR System is a prudent use of taxpayer dollars.”
<div id="attachment_929265" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929265" class="wp-image-929265 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg" alt="" width="890" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg 890w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-300x194.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-768x497.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345.jpg 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" />A rendering shows a high-speed rail train as it enters a station during an informational open house by the California High-Speed Rail Authority at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (via Getty Images).</div>
Newsom, who joined then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as an early supporter of the high-speed rail project, has <a href="https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=4fa48cb5-20c1-4a92-baf8-39a76dbb2a38#:~:text=SACRAMENTO%20%E2%80%94%20While%20mayor%20of%20San%20Francisco%2C,state%20bond%20measure%20to%20help%20build%20it">flip-flopped</a> his position on it through the years. Six years after pushing the project, he bemoaned the rising costs and delays and pulled his support, according to the Los Angeles Times. Just two years later, he again endorsed the project. 
Labor unions are also a major player pushing the $128 billion project, the L.A. Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-09/labor-unions-power-california-high-speed-rail-decisions">reported</a> in 2021. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, which represents 450,000 workers, has been a powerful voice behind the high-speed rail project despite the continued questions and criticisms swirling over the plan. The CHSRA <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/11/17/news-release-california-high-speed-rail-partners-with-labor-on-operating-nations-first-high-speed-rail-project/">partnered</a> with 13 rail labor unions to &#8220;cover an estimated 3,000 workers who will operate and maintain high-speed trains, facilities, and stations from the Bay Area through the Central Valley and into Southern California.&#8221;
Union support for the high-speed rail was a major reason Newsom flipped back to endorsing the project, according to the Times.
Newsom claims the project has made progress and remains on track to bring high-speed rail to the state. When asked about the project on Tuesday, the governor&#8217;s office directed The Daily Wire to the CHSRA and highlighted a clip of Newsom addressing the issue during a press conference on the state budget last month. In the clip, Newsom <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOeniD3QFqs&amp;t=7053s">commented</a> on the high-speed rail plan, saying, “You can see the progress we’ve actually made.” 
“We’re now on the other side of the environmental reviews. We’re on the other side of the land acquisition,” Newsom said. 
Newsom also pointed to a high-speed rail project in Texas that promised to connect Houston to Dallas, but the plan was <a href="https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/texas-high-speed-rail-project-grant-cancelled/68678.article#:~:text=USA%3A%20Transportation%20Secretary%20Sean%20Duffy,Texas%20High%2DSpeed%20Rail%20Corridor.">scrapped</a> in April after the Trump administration pulled funding from it. 
A CHSRA spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email that it &#8220;strongly disagrees with the FRA’s conclusions, which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.&#8221;
&#8220;We remain firmly committed to completing the nation’s first true high-speed rail system connecting the major population centers in the state. While continued federal partnership is important to the project, the majority of our funding has been provided by the state,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;To that end, the Governor’s budget proposal, which is currently before the Legislature, extends at least $1 billion per year in funding for the next 20 years, providing the necessary resources to complete the project’s initial operating segment. The Authority will fully address and correct the record in our formal response to the FRA’s notice.”

Gavin Newsom

Trump Admin Ready To Pull The Plug On California High-Speed Rail Boondoggle

California

Department of Transportation

Donald Trump

Sean Duffy

Transportation

Trump Administration

President Donald Trump said late Monday night that California would be hit with major fines after a trans-identifying male athlete <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/male-dominates-girls-track-at-california-state-finals-despite-trump-threat">won</a> state titles in multiple high school track and field events over the weekend.
Trump called out the state and its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, for not complying with his executive order banning boys from competing against girls in athletic events. Controversy erupted in California as AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old boy who identifies as a girl, took home gold medals in the high jump and triple jump at the state finals on Saturday.
&#8220;A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so. As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114617654959425582">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
The president previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-out-newsom-threatens-to-cut-funding-over-high-school-boy-competing-in-girls-sports?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Out+Newsom%2C+Threatens+To+Cut+Funding+Over+High+School+Boy+Competing+In+Girls%E2%80%99+Sports">blasted</a> Newsom and California and threatened to cut federal funding from the state if it continued to allow Hernandez to compete against girls in sports. Trump said last week that he planned on speaking to Newsom about the issue “to find out which way he wants to go.”
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/girls-will-get-their-medals-california-clarifies-transgender-policy-for-high-school-track-finals">revised</a> its rules for transgender athletes ahead of the state championships, allowing Hernandez to still compete in the girls category but awarding girls their places on the podium, even if they scored lower than the trans-identifying boy. The policy change was applauded by Newsom, who called it &#8220;a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness.&#8221; Many conservatives and women&#8217;s sports advocates, however, argued that the new policy doesn&#8217;t go far enough, as it still allows Hernandez to compete against girls.
In the high jump, Hernandez shared the first-place spot with &#8220;co-winners&#8221; Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle, the highest-scoring girls. In the long jump, Hernandez took second place, sharing the podium with Brooke White. Long jump champion Loren Webster beat Hernandez by just a few inches.
“Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor,” White said, according to <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/california-track-and-field-finals-ab-hernandez-results/64936156#:~:text=a%20half%2Dmeter.-,Earlier%20in%20the%20afternoon%2C%20Hernandez%20placed%20second%20in%20the%20long,we%20all%20have%20her%20back.%E2%80%9D">KCRA</a>. “As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back.”
The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding from states — such as California, Maine, and Minnesota — that it says violate federal Title IX protections for girls and women by allowing boys and men to compete in female sports. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://x.com/erinfriday75490/status/1927778642655867236?s=46&amp;t=Ry4tRhue8IunLXZ29eEvrg">announced</a> last week that her office is investigating California&#8217;s high school sports governing body over potential Title IX violations.
“My office has found reasonable cause to believe that CIF, too, is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against female athletes,” Dhillon wrote.

Trump Vows ‘Large Scale Fines’ On California After Boy Wins Girls’ Track Events

Executive

Girls

High school sports

Politics

Social Issues

Transgender

transgender athlete

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

A male athlete named AB Hernandez took home multiple state titles in girls&#8217; track and field over the weekend in California, sparking protests on both sides of the issue after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off federal funding to the state if officials did not block Hernandez from competing.
Hernandez beat all female competitors in the high jump and triple jump, taking two golds. In the long jump, the athlete took the silver medal.
In response to the controversy surrounding Hernandez, the California Interscholastic Federation piloted a new policy at the state tournament to make sure that &#8220;any females who finished behind a biological male would be appropriately rewarded a medal based on where they placed among female competitors,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trans-athlete-ab-hernandez-takes-girls-track-field-state-championships-california-defying-trump">reported</a>.
<div id="attachment_927891" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-927891" class="wp-image-927891 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942936-864x576.jpg" alt="ransgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls high jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942936-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942936-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942936-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942936.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kirby Lee/Getty Images</div>
Demonstrators expressed themselves over the weekend, with people holding LGBT-themed material or &#8220;Save Girls Sports&#8221; signs. As highlighted by Fox News, an &#8220;LGBTQ protester&#8221; was arrested for allegedly attacking a pro-girls sports activist, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/footage-shows-lgbtq-protestor-attacking-conservative-california-track-championship-amid-trans-athlete-drama" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Clovis Police Department.
<div id="attachment_927885" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-927885" class="wp-image-927885 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942920-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942920-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2217942920.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kirby Lee/Getty Images</div>
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has not commented on Hernandez beating the girls and winning two gold medals over the weekend, though he <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/california-competition-rules-track-and-field-controversy-trans-athlete/3709894/">praised</a> the state tournament policy change as &#8220;reasonable&#8221; and a &#8220;thoughtful approach.&#8221; The governor has recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-out-newsom-threatens-to-cut-funding-over-high-school-boy-competing-in-girls-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that males competing in female sports is &#8220;deeply unfair.&#8221;
Last week, President Donald Trump called out Newsom for allowing males in girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports, despite Trump&#8217;s executive order to save girls&#8217; sports and federal Title IX rules.
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&#8220;California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow &#8216;MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,'&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114579949187402607">posted</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won &#8216;everything,&#8217; and is now qualified to compete in the &#8216;State Finals&#8217; next weekend,&#8221; the president added, referring to Hernandez. &#8220;As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.&#8221;
&#8220;Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;The Governor, himself, said it is &#8216;UNFAIR.&#8217; I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-her-attorney-wrecks-cnn-anchor-over-trans-sports-policy-in-viral-exchange?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Who+Is+‘Her’%3F’%3A+Attorney+Wrecks+CNN+Anchor+Over+Trans+Sports+Policy+In+Viral+Exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Who Is ‘Her’?’: Attorney Wrecks CNN Anchor Over Trans Sports Policy In Viral Exchange</a>

CIF State Track and Field Championships

Male Dominates Girls’ Track At California State Finals Despite Trump Threat

The governing body that oversees California high school sports clarified on Wednesday that its new policy for the upcoming track meet this weekend would still award girls their rightful places on the podium, even if a trans-identifying boy has one of the top scores.
In a statement shared with The Daily Wire, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said that at the state championships, &#8220;a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event.&#8221;
The CIF statement is a follow-up to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-changes-rule-for-high-school-track-meet-as-trump-threatens-funding-over-boy-beating-girls?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=California+Changes+Rule+For+High+School+Track+Meet+As+Trump+Threatens+Funding+Over+Boy+Beating+Girls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> made on Tuesday that stated that female athletes who lost out on qualifying for the state track and field championships because they were forced to compete against a boy would be invited to the event. The updated guidance means that if trans-identifying student AB Hernandez places in the high jump, triple jump, or long jump, he will be accompanied on the podium by the female athlete who would have finished in his position. The final events are set to be held on Saturday, with qualifying events held on Friday.
&#8220;On Friday, May, 30, if necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump qualifying events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark will also be advanced to the finals,&#8221; the CIF stated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEWS: California clarifies that it will award high school girls a place on the podium at the upcoming state championship high jump, triple jump, or long jump, even if they finish behind a trans-identifying boy. <a href="https://t.co/hEnsVOltcm">pic.twitter.com/hEnsVOltcm</a>
&mdash; Zach Jewell (@zach_d_jewell) <a href="https://twitter.com/zach_d_jewell/status/1927831198165872844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After it released its initial statement on Tuesday, the CIF was blasted for allowing Hernandez to continue to compete against girls, and many people were confused as to why the new policy would simply invite female athletes who missed out on qualifying to once again compete against the boy who already beat them. At the Southern Section finals on May 17, Hernandez posted a jump of 19 feet, 2.75 inches, which beat out second-place finisher Katie McGuinness’ jump of 18 feet, 9.5 inches. He won two division titles in the triple and long jump at the event.
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California and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-out-newsom-threatens-to-cut-funding-over-high-school-boy-competing-in-girls-sports?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Out+Newsom%2C+Threatens+To+Cut+Funding+Over+High+School+Boy+Competing+In+Girls%E2%80%99+Sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ripped</a> by President Donald Trump for allowing Hernandez to compete against girls in the high school track meet. The president said on Tuesday that he would speak to Newsom &#8220;to find out which way he wants to go.&#8221; The California governor praised the CIF policy as &#8220;a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing.&#8221;
Newsom has previously suggested that he is opposed to men competing against women, but he has not taken any action to prevent trans-identifying boys and men from playing girls’ sports. The updated CIF guidance also comes after the office of Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://x.com/erinfriday75490/status/1927778642655867236?s=46&amp;t=Ry4tRhue8IunLXZ29eEvrg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it is investigating the CIF over potential Title IX violations.
“My office has found reasonable cause to believe that CIF, too, is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against female athletes,” Dhillon wrote.

Athlets on Podium

Girls Will Get Their Medals: California Clarifies Transgender Policy For High School Track Finals

U.S.

President Donald Trump blasted California and its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, on Tuesday for allowing men to compete in women&#8217;s sports, threatening to freeze federal funding going to the state.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114579949187402607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump called out California after a male athlete advanced to the state championships in the girls’ long jump and triple jump, which will take place next week. Trans-identifying athlete AB Hernandez, a junior in high school, won two division titles in the triple and long jump at the Southern Section finals on May 17, according to <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/california/transgender-athlete-wins-cif-track-and-field-titles-in-girls-high-school-events-01jvmqrckp7b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated</a>. Hernandez posted a jump of 19 feet, 2.75 inches, which beat out second-place finisher Katie McGuinness&#8217; jump of 18 feet, 9.5 inches.
Trump called the participation of Hernandez in the girls division &#8220;TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.&#8221;
&#8220;California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow &#8216;MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,'&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won &#8216;everything,&#8217; and is now qualified to compete in the &#8216;State Finals&#8217; next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.&#8221;
&#8220;Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,&#8221; added Trump, referring to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/surrounded-by-young-female-athletes-donald-trump-bans-men-from-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> he signed on February 5 pushing to ban men from competing in women&#8217;s sports.
McGuinness, a senior, told Fox News last week that &#8220;girls, every day, are losing their spot due to biological boys beating out biological girls.&#8221; She added that her second-place finish was &#8220;discouraging&#8221; because she couldn&#8217;t beat someone &#8220;genetically different.&#8221;
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High School Senior Long Jumper, Katie McGuinness joins <a href="https://twitter.com/SandraSmithFox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SandraSmithFox</a> to discuss her &#39;discouraging&#39; loss to a biological male.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericaReports?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericaReports</a> <a href="https://t.co/lvWzYqnuHI">pic.twitter.com/lvWzYqnuHI</a>
&mdash; America Reports (@AmericaRpts) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRpts/status/1925270400021246457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Newsom has suggested that he is also opposed to men competing against women, <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1897660139580125553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in March that &#8220;it’s deeply unfair.&#8221; The Democratic governor, however, has not taken any action to prevent trans-identifying boys and men from playing girls&#8217; sports. Newsom said a few weeks after his discussion with Kirk that the issue of men in women&#8217;s sports &#8220;has been colored in and weaponized by the right to be 10 times, 100 times bigger than it is &#8230;&#8221;
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&#8220;And to the extent that someone could find that right balance, I would embrace those conversations and the dignity that hopefully presents themselves in that conversation, meaning the humanity around that conversation, not the politics around that conversation,&#8221; he added, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trump-threatens-pull-federal-funding-from-california-over-trans-athlete-controversy-state-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
Trump said on Tuesday that he will talk to Newsom &#8220;today to find out which way he wants to go.&#8221;
&#8220;In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!&#8221; the president added.
Trump has also gone after Maine and its Democratic governor, Janet Mills, for continuing to allow boys to compete against girls. Last month, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-unleashes-on-maine-announces-new-lawsuit-against-state-for-violating-title-ix?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo+and+Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bondi+Unleashes+On+Maine%2C+Announces+New+Lawsuit+Against+State+For+Violating+Title+IX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a civil lawsuit against the state, citing Title IX. Along with pushing to force Maine to comply with Trump&#8217;s order, the lawsuit also seeks to grant females who were passed over by males their appropriate awards.

Donald Trump/Gavin Newsom

Trump Calls Out Newsom, Threatens To Cut Funding Over High School Boy Competing In Girls’ Sports

Boys

President Donald Trump shakes up Capitol Hill while pushing forward on his tax cuts and budget. A new bombshell Senate report claims former President Joe Biden’s federal health agencies were aware of COVID vaccine dangers &#8212; including myocarditis — but intentionally delayed alerting the public. And, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is blaming Trump for the Golden State’s $12 billion deficit — but are Newsom’s own spending decisions to blame?
It’s Wednesday, May 21, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump On Capitol Hill</h2>
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Topline: President Trump traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday, where he pushed GOP members of Congress to pass his “big, beautiful” budget bill.
President Trump’s budget has been moving through Congress for months and is now approaching the finish line. Rather than breaking the bill up into smaller pieces to be voted on piecemeal, the president has urged Congress to pass the whole thing at once — in “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This law would amount to what the White House calls the largest tax cut in American history.
Among other things, it would codify his plan for no taxes on tips, overtime, or Social Security payouts. It would also increase child tax credits, remove more than a million illegal immigrants from Medicaid, increase funding for border wall construction, overhaul the Federal Aviation Administration, and make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent. Without this bill, the tax cuts would expire this year. According to the White House, Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 a year would pay around 15% less in taxes, with a projected increase of around $5,000 to median household income.
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At the moment, the House plans to vote on the bill by Thursday, although it’s uncertain whether it will pass. Because House Republicans hold such a slim majority (220-213), they’ve got to have almost total unity to get anything passed – President Trump has only signed five new laws since taking office, which is the fewest by a president at this point in their term since 1953. On Tuesday, Trump took a rare trip across town to the Capitol, where he delivered a blunt message to House Republicans: Get in line.
“Anybody who didn’t support it as a Republican, I would consider to be a fool,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/Voz_US/status/1924873406396166377">said</a>. “It’s a great bill.”
“The high level message is, ‘Hey, you all have done a lot of work,’” Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, told The Daily Wire. “If you force this perfect world that you have in your vision, you&#8217;ll actually get nothing. Let&#8217;s go out, move the ball forward, get something.”
<h2>COVID Lies Exposed?</h2>
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Topline: A bombshell report released from the Senate says federal health agencies were aware of COVID vaccine risks for months prior to alerting the American people.
Morning Wire got an early look at a report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which claims that Biden-era federal health agencies were aware of severe adverse health reactions associated with these COVID vaccines, but they downplayed health concerns and delayed alerting the public about these risks for months. Specifically, they allegedly knew about risks like myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, which is inflammation of the thin sac surrounding the heart. The report includes more than two thousand pages of documents allegedly showing evidence of this apparent cover-up.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), the chairman of the investigations subcommittee, will hold a full hearing on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has revised its guidance on COVID vaccination. The FDA says that it will continue to approve COVID vaccines for seniors and people at high risk, but the agency is now requiring vaccine makers to conduct new clinical trials before approving these vaccines for the wider public. These companies will have to conduct &#8220;randomized, placebo-controlled trials&#8221; before the FDA will approve their shots for healthy Americans between the ages of 6 months and 64 years old.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health (NIH), upset some bureaucrats at the agency when he said at a town hall event that he believes the COVID pandemic was likely started by research that the NIH funded. “If it&#8217;s true that we sponsored research that caused a pandemic, and if you look at polls of the American people, that&#8217;s what most people believe,” Bhattacharya <a href="https://x.com/HansMahncke/status/1924850304727781389">said</a>. “What we have to do is make sure that we do not engage in research that&#8217;s any risk of opposing any risk to human populations.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also made news this week talking about the origins of the COVID pandemic. He <a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1924790453682970951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1924790453682970951%7Ctwgr%5Ef59c1be2d5f7a6251ac3b65eca8d6354a1d0f055%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Frfk-jr-slams-world-health-organization-in-message-to-groups-annual-meeting">scolded</a> the World Health Organization at the group’s annual meeting over its ties to China.
“While the United States has provided the lion&#8217;s share of the organization&#8217;s funding, historically other countries, such as China, have exerted undue influence over its operations in ways that serve their own interests and not particularly the interests of the global public. This all became obvious during the COVID pandemic when the WHO, under pressure from China, suppressed reports at critical junctures of human-to-human transmission and then worked with China to promote the fiction that COVID originated from bats or pangolins rather than from a Chinese government-sponsored research at a biolab in Wuhan. Not only has the WHO capitulated to political pressure from China, it&#8217;s also failed to maintain an organization characterized by transparency and fair governance by and for its member states. The WHO often acts like it has forgotten that its members must remain accountable to their own citizens and not to transnational or corporate interests.”
<h2>California Fiscal Crisis</h2>
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Topline: Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced his state faces an astounding budget deficit next year — $12 billion.
The economic outlook for the so-called Golden State has darkened since January, when the budget looked almost balanced. Newsom is blaming the budget hole on a “Trump slump” brought on by the president’s tariffs, as well as Washington’s &#8220;attack&#8221; on California’s economy. But according to the budget document Newsom released, less than half of the deficit is from reduced tax revenue.
“California is increasing their spending faster than they expected,” Judge Glock, director of research at the Manhattan Institute, told The Daily Wire. “And the big driver of that higher spending is Medicaid, or Medi-Cal as it&#8217;s known here, the health insurance program for the poor. In the rest of the country, Medicaid covers about 20% of people. But in California, it’s about a third, and has been growing very rapidly. One of the reasons it’s been growing is more coverage for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers.”
Medicaid is supported both by the federal government and the states, and the federal government has made clear it doesn’t pay for insurance for illegal immigrants. But starting in the 2010s, several states, including California, began using their own money to cover some illegal immigrants, and those states have kept expanding that coverage. Just <a href="https://calmatters.org/health/2023/12/undocumented-health-insurance-new-california-laws-2024/">last year</a>, California became the first state to offer Medicaid coverage to all illegal immigrants, of any age.
“Just a few months ago, Newsom announced that the state needed to borrow an extra $2.7 billion because more immigrants were enrolling in the new program than expected,” Glock told The Daily Wire. “The previous estimate was that the program for illegal immigrants would cost about $10 billion a year. Now the estimate’s gone up again. One could say this entire budget problem could be solved just by stopping this one medical program for illegal immigrants.”

MRN_052125_Thumbnail_V2

Morning Brief: Trump Stumps For The Big, Beautiful Bill & A COVID Vaccine Bombshell

COVID-19

Media

Morning Wire

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing to freeze enrollment for illegal immigrants in the state&#8217;s free health care program.
Newsom&#8217;s 2025-2026 revised budget proposal, which is set to be released later on Wednesday, plans to block new adult applications from illegal immigrants to the Medi-Cal program as soon as January 1, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-14/newsom-walks-back-free-healthcare-for-undocumented-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The governor, who previously expanded Medi-Cal from going to children of low-income illegal immigrants to making it available to all income-eligible illegal immigrants, is now concerned about cutting back on California&#8217;s spending as the state faces a budget deficit. The expanded free health program has cost billions more than the state expected.
In addition to freezing enrollment at the beginning of next year, Newsom also wants to begin charging illegal immigrants who remain in the program $100 a month, starting in 2027, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/california-newsom-healthcare-budget.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Newsom&#8217;s office says the change will save California $5.4 billion through 2028-2029.
Last year, California became the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/california-1st-state-offer-health-insurance-undocumented-immigrants/story?id=105986377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first state</a> to offer free health insurance to illegal immigrants, but the program quickly ballooned as more joined than the state had expected, according to the L.A. Times. California lawmakers and Gov. Newsom recently approved a $3.4 billion loan to pay for the expanded program&#8217;s extra expenses through June. It&#8217;s the third straight year that Newsom and Democratic lawmakers have been forced to cut spending after allocating more money for big government programs than the state has available to spend.
Newsom has also blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs for hurting California&#8217;s economy, projecting that the state would lose $16 billion in revenue between 2025 and 2026.
Newsom&#8217;s revised budget proposal also comes as the Trump administration targets state-funded programs for illegal immigrants. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/12/department-homeland-security-investigates-state-california-providing-federal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an investigation into California&#8217;s program that hands out cash assistance to elderly illegal immigrants who are ineligible for Social Security because of their immigration status. The Trump administration is pushing to &#8220;make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally.&#8221;
“Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally. If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County – it is just the beginning.”

Newsom Wants To Cut Back On Free Health Care Program That He Expanded To Illegal Immigrants

Health

Health Care

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday called on cities to ban homeless encampments from public property, using billions in state funding as leverage.
The guidance from Newsom, an early contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, would prohibit people from placing tents on public property, including sidewalks, parks, and bike paths, while also banning individuals from sleeping on streets with sleeping bags or blankets for more than three consecutive days.
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets. Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity — the courts delivered,&#8221; Newsom <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/newsom-calls-to-ban-homeless-encampments-on-public-property/">said</a> in a statement, per the New York Post.
Enabled by last year&#8217;s Supreme Court <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-homelessness.html">ruling</a> that upheld an Oregon law banning camping on public property, the guidance represents a notable shift in Newsom&#8217;s approach to managing homelessness.
&#8220;Now, we&#8217;re giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care. The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses.&#8221;
However, Newsom&#8217;s ordinance specifies that no one &#8220;should face criminal punishment for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go,&#8221; and further requires city officials to &#8220;make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter&#8221; and services to encampment residents.
Newsom is unable to compel municipalities to implement the ban, but he has pledged approximately $3.3 billion in state funding to cities that adopt his guidance.
The model ordinance would allow for enforcement that officials hope could begin to reshape California&#8217;s urban landscape without running afoul of legal precedent, encouraged by California voters approving a Newsom-backed measure imposing strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to address homelessness.
A 2024 statewide audit <a href="https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/04/california-homelessness-spending/">found</a> that Newsom’s government had spent $24 billion to address homelessness since 2019, only for the state to have a record homeless <a href="https://www.ppic.org/blog/homelessness-hits-record-high-in-california-jumps-dramatically-in-rest-of-us/">population</a> of 187,000, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Newsom&#8217;s rightward shift on homelessness has faced backlash from many progressives in the lead-up to the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, with the progressive Current Affairs magazine deeming Newsom &#8220;not a progressive.&#8221;
<div class="css-175oi2r">
<div class="css-175oi2r r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__nyh2uch1rqd" class="css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText">&#8220;Gavin Newsom isn’t fighting homelessness, he’s fighting homeless people. Banning encampments won’t fix the housing crisis, but it will make life more miserable for those with nowhere to go,&#8221; the magazine <a href="https://x.com/curaffairs/status/1921959173295591437">wrote</a> on X.</div>
</div>
</div>

California Governor Newsom Announces New Funding For Los Angeles Communities Affected By Wildfires

Newsom Calls On Cities To Clear Homeless Encampments Ahead Of 2028

Homelessness

Los Angeles

San Francisco

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is aggressively courting Canadian tourists, painting the state as a safe haven from the Trump administration.
Newsom launched a tourism campaign targeted at Canadians on Monday as the state attempts to bring back tourists who have canceled vacations in the United States over President Donald Trump&#8217;s treatment of Canada. In one video message, Newsom said California and Canada &#8220;have always shared so much in common.&#8221;
“Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans,” the governor added. “California is the ultimate playground — over 2,000 miles from Washington and a world away in mindset. From our iconic beaches and national parks to world-class wine, food, and outdoor adventure — there’s something here for everyone.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="#California Launches #Tourism Campaign Welcoming #Canadians  #shorts #visitcalifornia #canada #news" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6b_p6TMduT8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Here in California, we have plenty of sunshine and a whole lot of love for our neighbors up north,” Newsom stated at the end of the video.
As Trump hits Canada with a 25% tariff and repeatedly suggests that the nation should become the 51st state, some Canadians are nixing their plans to travel to the United States. Last year, nearly two million Canadians visited California, spending around $3.7 billion in the Golden State, the governor&#8217;s office stated, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Canada has also started a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-buys-ads-in-a-dozen-states-against-trumps-tariffs?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Canada+Buys+Ads+In+A+Dozen+States+Against+Trump%E2%80%99s+Tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billboard campaign</a> in the United States against Trump&#8217;s tariffs. According to Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock, the billboards are part of an “educational campaign to inform Americans” about the costs of tariffs.
Earlier this month, the Canadian government retaliated with a 25% tariff on over $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Despite President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-agree-on-many-things-trump-had-extremely-productive-call-with-canadas-new-liberal-pm?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Agree+On+Many+Things%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Had+%E2%80%98Extremely+Productive+Call%E2%80%99+With+Canada%E2%80%99s+New+Liberal+PM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> he had an &#8220;extremely productive call&#8221; with Canada&#8217;s new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, the trade war between the two countries has shown no signs of cooling down in the near future.
In the meantime, Newsom — who is expected to run for president in 2028 — is reaching out to Canadian tourists and seeking to further develop economic and political relationships with Canada. On Monday, the governor <a href="https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1911871226504790514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with British Columbia Premier David Eby &#8220;to discuss opportunities for expanding California&#8217;s partnership with British Columbia on climate &amp; trade.&#8221;
&#8220;As tariffs threaten jobs &amp; businesses on both sides of the border, California remains a steady, reliable partner open for business,&#8221; Newsom said.

Gavin Newsom/Canadians

‘So Much In Common’: Newsom Courts Canadians With New Tourism Campaign

Canada

Global Politics

Tourism

Former Vice President and failed 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested on Thursday that she is sticking around the political scene.
In one of her few public appearances since losing in an electoral landslide to President Donald Trump in November, Harris spoke at the Leading Women Defined Summit in Dana Point, California, and left the door open for a future political campaign.
&#8220;We can’t go out there and do battle if we don’t take care of ourselves and each other. I’ll see you out there. I’m not going anywhere,&#8221; Harris said, according to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-04-03/in-o-c-former-vice-president-harris-says-shell-stay-politically-active-im-not-going-anywhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Los Angeles Times</a>.
During her speech, Harris didn&#8217;t mention any specific position she&#8217;s gunning for, but the former California attorney general and senator has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/07/kamala-harris-california-governor-decision-deadline-00216737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been seriously considering a run for governor of the Golden State. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/07/kamala-harris-california-governor-decision-deadline-00216737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>, Harris set a deadline for the end of summer to officially make a decision.
Current California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited in 2026 and is being floated as a potential leading candidate for the Democrats in the 2028 presidential election. A handful of Democrats have already jumped into the governor&#8217;s race in California, including former California Attorney General and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-hhs-secretary-jumps-into-california-governors-race?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;title=Biden%E2%80%99s+HHS+Secretary+Jumps+Into+California+Governor%E2%80%99s+Race&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his campaign for governor earlier this week.
Becerra joins former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former State Controller Betty Yee, former state legislator Toni Atkins, and state schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond in what is already becoming a crowded Democratic primary.
Harris didn&#8217;t mention Trump by name during her speech on Thursday, but she did allude to the president&#8217;s administration and lamented that organizations are &#8220;capitulating&#8221; to Trump&#8217;s orders.
“There is a sense of fear that is taking hold in our country, and I understand it,” she said. “These are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear. Because, you know, there were many things that we knew would happen, many things.”
She also suggested that the concerns she discussed about another Trump presidency on the campaign trail are becoming a reality. “I’m not here to say, ‘I told you so.&#8217; I swore I wasn’t going to say that,” she remarked.

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris Hints At Future Political Run: ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’

Elections

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) suggested that California Governor Gavin Newsom should look in the mirror with his damning critique of the Democratic Party.
Newsom, who is seen as a potential 2028 contender for the White House, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/politics/newsom-democrats-toxic.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a recent episode of HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Real Time With Bill Maher&#8221; that the &#8220;Democratic brand&#8221; was &#8220;toxic&#8221; and referred to polls showing favorability for the party under 30%.
During an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/bennet-says-gabbard-and-ratcliffe-lied-repeatedly-to-congress-about-signal-chat-full-interview-235797573843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press,&#8221; moderator Kristen Welker said those were &#8220;powerful words&#8221; from Newsom and asked Bennet if he agreed with the assessment.
&#8220;I do agree that the Democratic Party brand is really problematic. And I think that it is a brand that is, with all respect to my colleague from my California, is associated with New York and with California, is associated with the educated elites in this country, and not anymore with working people in this country,&#8221; Bennet said.
Bennet is not the only Democrat lawmaker to swipe back at Newsom.
&#8220;With respect, [Newsom] the Democratic party is not &#8216;toxic,'&#8221; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who represents Silicon Valley, <a href="https://x.com/RoKhanna/status/1906025826296197448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;This is not the time to join the chorus in bashing our party. The rage should be about what Trump is doing TODAY. Let&#8217;s share what our party has done &amp; offer a forward vision for the future.&#8221;
Bennet argued that President Donald Trump has presented some &#8220;good news&#8221; for the party when it comes to his economic pursuits and healthcare, but he also contended that the Democrat Party has to rise to the occasion in order to gain back trust.
&#8220;The Democratic Party ought to be able to come back, under those circumstances, with a pretty good argument about why we could leader better than Donald Trump and why we are able to provide a better set of economic policies, a much better set of healthcare policies than ensures universal healthcare, finally, for everybody in this country.&#8221;
After mentioning the need to improve education and claiming that &#8220;our kids are invisible to Donald Trump, Bennet went on to say: &#8220;If the Democratic Party would show up with some imagination, I think, not only would we do better, the American people would do better.&#8221;

California Governor Gavin Newsom

Dem Senator Agrees With Newsom That Dems Are ‘Toxic’ — But Says California Is The Problem

Dem Senator Agrees With Newsom That Dems Are 'Toxic' — But Says California Is The Problem

Congress

Democrats

U.S. Senate

On Thursday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon fired off a letter to California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom warning him that public schools that permit boys to play in girls’ sports could lose federal funding.
In an attempt to mitigate his record as an ardent leftist, Newsom recently reversed himself on the issue, saying it is “deeply unfair” for male athletes to participate in women&#8217;s sports.
“An overwhelming majority of Americans agree with you that biological men in women&#8217;s sports is unfair and wrong,” McMahon wrote. “Many are confused, however, by your office&#8217;s silence on the harms of substituting ‘gender identity’ for sex in other areas of the school environment. After all, if men ‘identifying as women; shouldn&#8217;t play women&#8217;s sports, why do California schools continue to let boys ‘identifying as girls’ use girls&#8217; bathrooms and locker rooms, and sleep in girls-only overnight accommodations?”
“School personnel have no business promoting the false notion that kids can choose or change their sex,” McMahon stated bluntly. “If a child does exhibit this behavior, the school has a duty to notify parents.”
“Take a stand on your convictions,” she told the man who often takes the most politically advantageous position for his career.
Even legacy media outlets have taken note of Newsom&#8217;s recent recalibration of his &#8220;convictions.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/politics/kfile-gavin-newsom-podcast-policy-reversal-trans-sports-latinx/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week: “Since launching his new podcast two weeks ago, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken aim at a number of causes popular among progressives: He’s rejected the term ‘Latinx,&#8217; said he doesn’t back trans women competing in women’s sports, and suggested he opposes taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for prisoners and detained immigrants.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After telling me that no one in his office ever used the term Latinx, CNN put together a brutal compilation of Gov. Gavin Newsom personally and repeatedly using the phrase.
If he&#39;ll lie like this, directly to my face, on camera&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/mx2nskMGhe">pic.twitter.com/mx2nskMGhe</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1903187569829155222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Be clear about the harms of gender confusion.” McMahon urged. “Protect female spaces. Do not encourage children to seek permanent medical interventions to their sex. Inform parents. Wouldn&#8217;t you, as a parent, appreciate knowing that your 5th grade daughter on a school trip might have to sleep overnight in rooms with boys and men ‘identifying’ as girls and women?”
She then laid down the gauntlet: “A great place to start protecting girls in California K-12 schools is to repeal Cal. Ed. Code 221.5(f) by calling on your legislature to pass AB 844. This would make it clear that California schools operate within reality and common sense. Sex-specific school programs and activities should be separated on the basis of sex, not the subjective feeling of “gender identity.’ Allowing participation in sex-separated activities based on ‘gender identity’ places schools at risk of Title IX violations and loss of federal funding.”
“As Governor, you have a duty to inform California school districts of this risk,” she pointed out. “You also have a duty to inform California educators and school officials that the creation of so-called ‘gender plans’ that are kept secret from parents is against federal law.”
“If a student claims a ‘gender identity’ at school, managing this issue bureaucratically while hiding it from parents violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). More importantly, it undermines the parent-child relationship and deprives parents of involvement in a critical aspect of their child&#8217;s youthful development. This is morally wrong, and as a parent, you should be naturally appalled, as I am, by the attempt to cut parents out of their children&#8217;s lives,” she wrote.
“Will you commit to working with the legislature to reverse the law you signed banning schools from notifying parents about students&#8217; gender identity?” she asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: Sec of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom DEMANDING that he inform California schools to comply with federal law and keep males out of female private spaces and sports. Failure to do so will result in the loss of funding. <a href="https://t.co/JDsuCGmKkh">pic.twitter.com/JDsuCGmKkh</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1905281387453706689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MixCollage-27-Mar-2025-12-23-PM-984

McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your ‘Convictions’ On Trans Issues

McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your 'Convictions' On Trans Issues

Department of Education

Linda McMahon

Transgenders

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