Gavin Newsom is trying to rebrand himself — but the past keeps getting in the way.

The California governor, long seen as a progressive firebrand, has started a podcast called This Is Gavin Newsom and is trying to paint himself as a centrist. One problem? His actual record is anything but moderate, and even CNN is calling him out for it.

Appearing on a podcast with Charlie Kirk, Newsom claimed, “Not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx before. … I just didn’t even know where it came from.” It was a clear effort to distance himself from the gender politics that have alienated many swing voters.

But conservative host Liz Wheeler wasn’t buying it — and neither, surprisingly, was CNN. The network aired a compilation of Newsom repeatedly using the word Latinx in past speeches and interviews. Far from being unaware of the term, Newsom embraced it as part of his progressive lexicon.

Wheeler, who launched a new segment called Newsom vs. Newsom, highlighted this contradiction as part of her ongoing effort to expose what she calls Newsom’s “radical reality.” She noted that while Newsom recently agreed biological males shouldn’t compete in girls’ sports, he’s done nothing as governor to stop that practice — in fact, state policies under his watch allow it.

“He’s trying to collect sound bites now so that in 2028 he can pretend to be a ‘common-sense moderate,’” Wheeler said. “But his record is filled with policies that are anything but.”

Among those policies: declaring California a transgender “sanctuary” state, backing school rules that hide gender transitions from parents, and offering homebuyer help to illegal immigrants.

Wheeler emphasized that Newsom’s pivot isn’t about genuine moderation — it’s political theater meant to revive his national ambitions. “He’s propagated wokeness, signed it into law, and now wants to act like he had nothing to do with it,” she said.

The controversy over Latinx is just the latest example. The term itself has become a political lightning rod, rejected by the vast majority of Latino voters, including progressive-leaning ones. Polling consistently shows the term is unpopular among Hispanics, with most preferring traditional, gendered language that reflects their cultural roots. Yet progressive elites and activist groups continue to use it.

That makes Newsom’s denial even more damaging — not just because it’s dishonest, but because it shows how out of touch he is with the very voters he hopes to woo in a national race.

For Wheeler and other critics, the takeaway is clear: Gavin Newsom is trying to run from his own record. But in the age of receipts, there’s no escaping your past — especially when CNN’s the one rolling the tape.

Expect more episodes of Newsom vs. Newsom as 2028 inches closer — and expect more Democrats to distance themselves from their own policy history as they seek national office. But with the public more skeptical than ever, that strategy may not fly.