The X account for the campaign of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) mocked a gay conservative influencer with long hair by referring to him as the rabidly anti-LGBTQ+ Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). While numerous X commenters laughed at Newsom’s mockery and misgendering, Newsom has come under recent fire for recently, repeatedly agreeing with right-wingers’ transphobic viewpoints.

Gay right-wing activist and MAGA supporter Scott Presler recently posted a video urging unaffiliated voters in Pennsylvania to register as Republicans so they can vote in the state’s closed primaries and help make the state redder.

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Newsom’s campaign X account @GovPressOffice commented on Presler’s video, writing, “thank you, Nancy Mace.” The reply received over 12,000 likes by Tuesday evening.

But while numerous X commenters seemed to support the reply, Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren commented, “You’re kidding me right? Your state and your bulls**t Governor rant and rave on a daily basis about protecting gay people, and you’re really going to use your official press office account to troll a gay conservative and call him a woman?”

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@GovPressOffice responded to Lahren’s comment by replying, “you sound woke,” The Daily Dot reported. Right-wingers have increasingly used “woke” as a pejorative for socially progressive viewpoints that emphasize the respectful inclusion of marginalized people, including non-white and LGBTQ+ groups.

thank you, Nancy Mace

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 18, 2025

Mace touts herself as a “proud transphobe,” and Presler has posted transphobic content in the past. He claimed that supporters of trans women in sports are “erasing women & allowing men to beat up women.” He has also claimed that Democrats want to conduct gender-affirming surgeries on children, even though such surgeries are almost never conducted on minors.

Newsom has recently gained headlines and notoriety by using the @GovPressOffice account to mock the president’s self-congratulatory and all-caps social media posting style. However, Newsom has also gotten blowback for recently agreeing with the transphobic political viewpoints while appearing on podcasts with conservative activists Charlie Kirk and Shawn Ryan.

In January, Newsom’s aides reportedly held a private meeting with Democratic lawmakers and discouraged them from introducing any pro-LGBTQ+ legislation.

In October 2023, Newsom vetoed three pro-LGBTQ+ bills. The bills sought to increase access to gender-affirming and HIV medications, but Newsom said he worried their broad wording could have unintended legal effects.

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