California Governor Gavin Newsom tried to walk back his anti-gun record in a recent interview with Shawn Ryan, claiming he’s not opposed to the Second Amendment, but his political track record tells a completely different story.

In typical fashion, Newsom leaned on charm and deflection, saying he’s not “anti-gun at all” after Ryan gave him a California-compliant SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro. Newsom said his concern is with “large capacity magazine clips” and so-called “weapons of war” — the term Democrats use for the AR-15, America’s most popular rifle.

He also added he’s “sometimes” against people “out-gunning” the police, Townhall reported.
But again, the facts don’t back up his claims.

Since taking office in 2019, Newsom has signed close to 70 gun control laws. That includes SB 1327, which allows private citizens to sue over illegal firearms and parts. In 2023, he backed an 11 percent tax on all gun and ammo sales, funneling the money into school safety and gun violence prevention programs. The tax was designed to discourage gun ownership, plain and simple.
This isn’t new for Newsom either. As mayor of San Francisco in 2005, he supported Proposition H, which would have banned the sale and possession of handguns in the city. The courts struck it down, but Newsom defended it at the time by pointing to a family tragedy involving his grandfather and saying he didn’t like guns.

In 2016, as lieutenant governor, he led the charge on Proposition 63. That measure banned high-capacity magazines and required background checks for ammunition purchases. He wasn’t just a supporter — he was the official proponent of the initiative and one of its most vocal champions.
So while Newsom may now claim he respects the Second Amendment, his long history of pushing aggressive gun control tells the real story.