Halle Berry has slammed California Governor Gavin Newsom and declared he “probably should not be president” after he vetoed a menopause bill two years in a row.
As rumors swirl about Newsom’s potential 2028 bid for the White House, the Catwoman actor made her concerns about his leadership very clear in an impassioned speech at The New York Times’ Dealbook conference.
“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, 59, told the audience Wednesday in New York City. “But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever,” the healthcare advocate slammed before delivering her final blow: “And with the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either.”
A representative for Newsom did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment on Berry’s comments. Notably, the 58-year-old governor is also set to speak at the summit, which is an annual event that hosts discussions about hot button topics featuring high-profile figures.
Berry has been open about her frustration with Newsom regarding his lack of support for the Menopause Care Equity Act, especially after it was passed by the legislature and vetoed by the governor earlier this year.
The California bill proposes to increase health care coverage and education for women experiencing menopause symptoms. Newsom said in a letter to legislators that he failed to sign the bill, and a similar one last year, because the act was “too far-reaching.”
However, Berry argued that insurance premiums would not be substantially changed. The Oscar winner wrote in a column in Time Magazine last month that the veto displayed “a failure of Gov. Newsom’s commitment to women.”
In both the column and in her 15-minute talk in New York, Berry called for Newsom and other policymakers to step up to advocate for more research and care for women’s health issues.
Despite Berry’s wariness over Newsom neglecting to address women’s health issues, the governor’s outspoken opposition to Donald Trump and pushback against the president’s policies have given voters, including young men and Republicans, enough reason to rally behind him in hopes for a possible candidacy in the next presidential election. It comes after Newsom previously warned that he is “scared to death” that Trump will attempt to remain the president for a third term.
