“This idea that somehow you're countenancing a point of view or perspective by engaging in conversations, that somehow you're complicit in that respect."
The pair appeared together at the San Francisco Symphony’s season-opening gala, immediately prompting public backlash and questions about their 20-year age gap.
Newsom stirred further attention earlier this year during the launch of his podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” while interviewing Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk.