Gavin Newsom admits Democrats 'walked away' from growing masculinity crisis: 'We need to own up'

WASHINGTON, DC: California Gov Gavin Newsom urges his own party to confront what he describes as a growing crisis among boys and men.

In his conversation on CNN’s 'State of the Union' with Jake Tapper on Sunday, November 9, he stated that the “Democratic Party has abandoned the issue and must now work to regain its footing.” 

Newsom also highlighted key social indicators and the political implications of neglecting this demographic.

Gavin Newsom urges Democrats to address crisis affecting Gavin Newsom says Democrats can't afford to lose support among boys and men

In the interview, Gavin Newsom stated, “I say this as a Democrat: We need to own up to the fact that we ceded that ground. We walked away from this crisis of men and boys.”

He argued that President Donald Trump “saw it as an electoral opportunity to exploit it,” but had “done nothing to deliver in terms of results to address those anxieties, which are real.”

Newsom emphasized that the times when boys and men are falling behind must be addressed as “suicide rates, dropout rates, and suspension rates were off the charts for men.”

He warned, “This is an issue our party needs to address. We can’t afford, from an electoral perspective, to lose these folks.”

However, Newsom pointed out that the issue goes beyond politics, saying, “But we also can’t on the basis of our values and what we claim to care about and represent, and I say that on behalf of women that need better men.”

Gavin Newsom brings up Charlie Kirk's work with young men

Gavin Newsom told the host that "Democrats had been slow to recognize the challenges facing men and boys."

“It’s a real issue. Democrats need to understand it not as a zero-sum issue, but an issue that defines not just our politics, but I think, defines our families, our relationships, defines the culture in this moment,” he said.

He pointed to the work of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, as an example of young men's engagement. “Charlie was organizing around it. People weren’t aware of what Turning Point USA was. I talked to so many Democrats who said, ‘Who’s Charlie Kirk?’ I said, ‘Well, your son knows about him,’” the governor noted. 

During Newsom’s podcast discussion with Kirk in March, the two reached some agreement regarding transgender women competing in women’s sports.

Kirk questioned Newsom, “You, as the governor, should step out and say no. Would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female sports?” to which he responded, “Well, I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It’s deeply unfair.”