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Newsom's Press Office Faces Backlash Over Social Media Post
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Newsom's Press Office Faces Backlash Over Social Media Post

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office is under fire following a controversial social media post made just hours after U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the state had violated federal Title IX protections. The violation stems from California’s policies allowing biological males who identify as transgender to compete in girls' sports—a policy the U.S. Department of Education has now deemed discriminatory under federal law.

Instead of issuing a formal legal rebuttal, Newsom’s press office posted a video clip from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), showing McMahon—who served as WWE CEO and is married to its founder Vince McMahon—being body-slammed by wrestler “Kane” during a scripted segment from the early 2000s. The move depicted is known as the “tombstone piledriver.”

The response was widely criticized. Many observers, including women’s rights advocates, pointed out the troubling irony of using a clip of a man physically overpowering a woman to mock someone enforcing protections for female athletes.


“So a man easily destroying a woman is how you want to relay that boys belong in girls’ sports?” one user wrote on X. Others echoed the sentiment, accusing Newsom’s team of reinforcing the very concerns raised by critics of trans inclusion in female sports: the physical advantage of males over females in athletic competition.

Prominent advocacy groups also condemned the post, calling it insensitive and inappropriate. The criticism intensified given the backdrop of the federal ultimatum issued to California. The Education Department has given the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the California Department of Education (CDE) 10 days to amend their policies or face a referral to the U.S. Department of Justice, with potential consequences including the loss of federal K-12 education funding.

McMahon addressed the issue on Fox & Friends, warning that federal funds are at risk if the state does not come into compliance. “This is a matter of protecting Title IX and ensuring fair competition,” she said.

California officials, however, struck a defiant tone. Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon dismissed the move as political theater, saying, “It wouldn’t be a day ending in ‘Y’ without the Trump administration threatening to defund California.” Gardon added that Secretary McMahon is “confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality.”


The California Department of Education reiterated its commitment to student inclusion but declined to comment directly on the legal matter. The CIF also declined to speak on pending legal issues.

Notably, Governor Newsom himself appeared to acknowledge fairness concerns during a March conversation with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. When pressed on a specific case of a male athlete winning a girls’ track event, Newsom stated, “It’s an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” while also expressing concern about the mental health of transgender youth and the tone of public discourse.

Written by Arthur Higgens - June 26, 2025