XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.california, alt.politics.democrats.governors   
   XPost: sac.politics, alt.politics.media   
   From: noreply@mixmin.net   
      
   Gavin Newsom continues to be laser-focused on his duties as California   
   governor, which in the year 2026 means — another podcast.   
      
   The governor sat down with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on   
   Thursday for a winding conversation that was frequently tedious but also   
   illuminating in showing Newsom has work to do in fine-tuning his   
   presidential campaign talking points. The reaction seemed to be two big   
   ole’ thumbs-down from people on both the left and the right,   
      
   https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/2026-tweet-made-ref   
   erence-fatal-119036718.jpg?resize=300,136&quality=75&strip=all   
      
   1. Newsom backs down on ICE criticism   
   The governor’s office has gone toe-to-toe with President Donald Trump   
   and Republicans by waging an aggressive social media campaign that uses   
   memes, profanity and personal attacks to defend Newsom’s record and also   
   tackle topics of the day. But when asked about posts regarding an   
   Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shooting Renee Good,   
   a woman in Minnesota, Newsom acknowledged his social media minions have   
   gone too far.   
      
   Ben Shapiro: Your press office tweeted out that it was “state-sponsored   
   terrorism.” Governor, I have to ask you about that.   
      
   Gavin Newsom: Correct.   
      
   Shapiro: That sort of thing makes our politics worse.   
      
   Newsom: Yeah.   
      
   Shapiro: Our ICE officers obviously are not terrorists.   
      
   Newsom: Yeah.   
      
   Shapiro: A tragic situation is not state-sponsored terrorism.   
      
   Newsom: Yeah, I think that’s fair.   
      
   One of the most fascinating aspects of this exchange is that it got   
   dunked on from both sides of the political spectrum.   
      
   A more liberal commentator on X called Newsom “spineless,” while another   
   called it an obvious “flip flop.”   
      
   2. Newsom ducks transgender debate   
   The governor’s social media team had no problem attacking Elon Musk over   
   the mega-billionaire’s trans child, but the governor showed off his   
   ability to duck and weave when it came to questions about children   
   transitioning.   
      
   Newsom: This idea that Trump says people are going to public schools and   
   having surgeries and coming back the next day is absurd and obscene   
   language.   
      
   Shapiro: But there are certainly cases in which kids are being “socially   
   transitioned” at school without parents knowing about it. I know some of   
   the parents to whom this has happened. I mean, this is — the fundamental   
   question that lies at the root of all of this is the question that   
   you’re not wanting to answer, which is whether boys can become girls.   
      
   Newsom: Yeah, just, well, I think, for the grace of God. Yeah.   
      
   Shapiro: I mean, I appreciate the sympathy. I also feel terrible.   
   Listen, anybody who’s suffering from any mental or physical condition,   
   that’s terrible.   
      
   Newsom: I think it’s been the case for generations for time in memoriam.   
   You know, God bless.   
      
   Shapiro: Why is this a hard one? I just don’t understand why this is a   
   hard one.   
      
   3. Newsom clenches up on ‘genocide’ in Gaza   
   In a clear sign that Newsom still has some work to do on his talking   
   points about the war in Gaza, the governor broke out the tae-kwon-doe   
   hand signals as he tried to explain his position on whether Israel   
   committed genocide.   
      
   Shapiro: Israel did not commit a genocide in Gaza. There is no standard   
   by which Israel committed a genocide in Gaza just on a factual level.   
   You know this.   
      
   Newsom: Just on a legal and factual level.   
      
   Shapiro: Yes. What is your opinion of this?   
      
   Newsom: My opinion is I understand the tendency for people to make that,   
   to assert that—   
      
   Shapiro: Why?   
      
   Newsom: On the basis of the images and the proportionality—   
      
   Shapiro: Ugly s–t doesn’t mean genocide. And proportionally doesn’t mean   
   that if you kill my child and I then kill seven criminals, that I’ve   
   been disproportionate.   
      
   Newsom: I’m not disagreeing with you but I understand that tendency on   
   the basis of trying to reconcile the proportionate nature of how the war   
   was ultimately conducted.   
      
   Shapiro: I have a question: Why do you feel the need to create a   
   permission structure for that sort of stuff? Meaning, it’s not true? Why   
   not just say it’s not true?   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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