When California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson pleaded guilty last month to three felonies pertaining to campaign finance fraud and federal tax evasion, the governor told Bloomberg News he was shaken – but philosophical. The news had come as a shock, he said, before adding that justice must be served.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom seemed almost glib as he carved a deep chasm in his own political party Thursday over the issue of biological male trans athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports. But Newsom’s seemingly off-the-cuff remarks deeming the issue one of “fairness” during his debut podcast episode is not just dividing the Democratic Party. It may have left his own personal house divided as well.