California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, sharply criticized reporters at a news conference on Wednesday after her husband, Governor Gavin Newsom, announced state funding for Planned Parenthood and other women’s health clinics.
Newsom signed a bill in Sacramento to provide $90 million in one-time emergency funding for Planned Parenthood and other clinics that serve women’s reproductive health needs.
Highlights
- California allocated $90 million in emergency funding to support Planned Parenthood and women's health clinics amid federal Medicaid cuts.
- Jennifer Siebel Newsom criticized reporters for asking off-topic questions at a press conference focused on women's reproductive health funding.
- Most journalists present were women from major outlets.
The funding is aimed at offsetting recent federal cuts under Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that have reduced Medicaid reimbursements for these services and forced clinic closures across the state.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom scolded reporters at a press conference
Image credits: Gavin Newsom
The press conference took place outside the state Capitol, and Newsom was joined by lawmakers and health advocates as he highlighted the funding and what it means for access to reproductive care in California.
He said the money was needed because the loss of federal support threatened services for women across the state.
After initial remarks, reporters began asking questions on a range of topics, including California’s high-speed rail project, the Los Angeles Olympics, and Newsom’s international travel plans.
That prompted a strong reaction from Siebel Newsom, who stepped to the microphone and challenged the focus of the questions, scolding reporters for not being focused on women’s health.
“We just find it incredulous that we have Planned Parenthood here, and women are 51 percent of the population, and the majority of the questions, all of these questions, have really been about other issues,” Siebel Newsom said. “So it’s just fascinating.”
She continued her remarks by calling attention to what she described as a broader struggle over women’s rights.
“You have the incredible Women’s Caucus and all these allies, and you’re not asking about it,” she said. “This happens over and over and over and over again.
“You wonder why we have such a horrific war on women in this country and that these guys are getting away with it, and you don’t seem to care.”
Image credits: The White House
Siebel Newsom added, “So I just offer that with love. Ask about what we’re here for today, don’t you think?”
It is understood that most of the journalists present were women representing outlets including The Associated Press, Politico, The New York Times, and major television networks.
KCRA reporter and president of the Sacramento Press Club, Ashley Zavala, challenged Siebel Newsom in a follow-up question.
“A setting like this is one of the few opportunities where the California Capitol press corps get the opportunity to ask Governor Newsom questions. So often times in settings like this, they are off topic,” she said.
The new funding is aimed at offsetting federal cuts
Image credits: Gavin Newsom
Siebel Newsom, an award-winning filmmaker and gender equity advocate, has served as California’s First Partner since her husband first took office in 2019.
The bill was passed on Monday, and Governor Newsom has vowed to protect women’s healthcare across the state.
“As Trump and his Republican enablers punish women with jaw-dropping cuts to reproductive health care providers, California is holding the line,” he wrote on X after signing the bill.
Image credits: Gavin Newsom
“We will never back down from defending Californians' freedom and access to reproductive health care.”
Newsom is widely seen as a Democratic candidate frontrunner in the 2028 presidential race, although he has not officially confirmed a run.
In October, he told CBS News that he is giving serious thought to running for president in 2028.