Newsom's comments on trans athletes gets muted rebuke from Democrats

• In a conversation with right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk on Newsom's podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," the California governor contended that trans athletes competing in girls' and women's sports was "deeply unfair."
• But Senate Democrats voted unanimously Monday to block a GOP bill that would have banned trans athletes from women's sports in schools.
• Arguing that trans sports participation should be a state- or local-level decision is an emerging Democratic strategy to counter Republican attacks on their support for trans rights, Axios' Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols report.

Driving the news: Several Democrats, presented with Newsom's comments, said Sunday that rules of sports participation should be determined by local communities and leagues rather than by the federal government.

• "We want to make sure that these decisions are made by the communities ... by the schools and others that are the ones closest," Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said on CNN's "State of the Union," adding, "We're talking about a handful ... of athletes around the country."
• Kim disputed the GOP's attempts to characterize transgender athletes participating in women's and girls' sports as an issue of safety, saying, "It's not about safety and security; it's about politics."

Zoom out: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said that her state has a process by which transgender girls can obtain waivers to participate on girls' sports teams.

• That's only happened twice, she said.
• "So let the local communities, just like everything with school, handle that issue," she said on NBC News' "Meet the Press." She added that "this issue is being sort of brought up in order to make sparks and see sparks fly."

"I want all young people to have the experience of playing in sports," Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on ABC's "This Week." "And I want those sports to be fair."

• He said he's confident that local schools and communities "can make those decisions without the federal government making them for them."

Yes, but: Most Democrats stopped short of directly criticizing Newsom or raising an issue with his argument.

• However, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said he was "perplexed" by Newsom's stance, noting a decade-old California law that allows trans kids to participate in sex-segregated school activities, like sports, based on their gender identity.
• "I believe that that law has worked in California, and I don't think there should be a federal ban, and we should have the state athletic associations ... set the standard so that you balance inclusion with fairness and safety," Khanna said.

LGBTQ+ rights and other advocacy groups were quick to strike back against Newsom's comments, with Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson writing in a statement, "When LGBTQ+ lives are under attack, real leaders don't hedge — they fight."

• Newsom is not the first Democrat to spark concerns from the LGBTQ+ community over his stance on trans athletes' sports participation — during the 2024 campaign cycle, some Dems earned rebuke from advocates over their weak defense of the community on the topic.

Catch up quick: Trump signed an executive order last month denying federal funds for schools that allow trans women or girls to compete in athletics based on their gender identity.

• The NCAA revised its participation policy shortly after to limit competition in women's sports to athletes assigned female at birth only.
• Trump's order on trans athletes was just one of several sweeping anti-trans actions the administration has taken since Jan. 20 — many of which were promises central to Trump's 2024 campaign.
• Those actions — such as orders defining "two sexes," threatening funding for youth gender-affirming care and moving to remove trans service members from the military — have sent shockwaves through an already vulnerable community.

Go deeper: "See you in court," Maine governor tells Trump after transgender athlete threats