Actress Halle Berry took the stage at the New York Times Book Deal event earlier this week and ripped into California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row,” Berry told the crowd.
“But that’s OK, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either,” she said. “Just saying.”
She referred to the bill AB 432, which Newsom vetoed for a second time in October. This bill seeks to mandate certain menopause care and require professionals to undergo additional training.
Newsom, who also spoke at NYT’s summit, told TMZ later that day that he had spoken with Berry’s manager and they’re “reconciling” the issue.
“We’re reconciling that. I’ve included it in the budget next year. She didn’t know that,” Newsom said about Berry.
Meanwhile, his spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, said the bill was vetoed because “it would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women already stretched thin — something he’s determined to avoid,” according to Mediaite.
Newsom tries to switch the narrative
Newsom has time and again raised his profile by standing up to the Trump administration.
California and a handful of other states are taking the Trump White House to court over restricting funding for homeless housing programs.
Last month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Newsom’s office for adopting a redistricting plan following the passage of Proposition 50. This ballot measure allows the Golden State to change the boundaries of the congressional districts to be more favorable to the Democratic Party.
The press release for this lawsuit reads more like a campaign ad, as Newsom’s office touted his accomplishments on housing and homelessness. Newsom says he is making “significant progress” on one of his biggest political vulnerabilities: the homelessness crisis in his state.
Voters in even the most left-leaning areas, like San Francisco, reached a breaking point over this crisis that has been affecting public safety, and has negatively affected Newsom’s popularity.
The press release lists the various initiatives the California governor signed, like Proposition 1, which funded a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond for housing with services for veterans and homeless individuals. It also points out that Newsom supported a recent Supreme Court decision giving local governments authority to clear homeless encampments.
Newsom has both tried to reassure the left that these deep-rooted problems will be addressed with care, while communicating to moderates that disorder will not be tolerated.
But the result is a relative success. “In 2024, while homelessness increased nationally by over 18%, California limited its overall increase to just 3%,” the press release states, touting “the nation’s largest reduction in veteran homelessness” and “progress in reducing youth homelessness.”
The statistics don’t mention the cost or time to build housing or the number of homeless people in the Golden State.
Is Newsom looking to run in 2028?
Many Democratic hopefuls have jetted off to swing and battleground states as of late. As the Deseret News reported earlier this week, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who is also tangling with the Trump administration, has been making the rounds, like Newsom.
Over the summer, both Kelly and Newsom passed through South Carolina, which is slated to host the first Democratic primary election in 2028.
Newsom also traveled to Texas in November, where he took a victory lap over the passage of California’s Proposition 50.
Speaking at a rally with 800 Democrats, Newsom expressed appreciation to Texas Democrats for leading the nation in resisting the new congressional map in their state.
“You woke us up,” Newsom said. “You didn’t just have your back here, you had our back in the state of California.“ Proposition 50 came in response to Texas adopting a new map favorable to Republicans.
He also criticized President Donald Trump at this rally, calling him a “historically unpopular president.”
Just days later, Newsom found himself amid a scandal, as his former chief of staff was charged with corruption. According to CBS News, Dana Williamson was indicted for allegedly stealing campaign funds from former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
In October, Newsom told CBS News he would give a White House bid some serious consideration, but not until after the 2026 midterm elections.
“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom said. “And I’m not — I can’t do that.”
“Fate will determine that,” he responded when asked if he is closer to determining whether he’ll run.