Gavin Newsom Give Ridiculous Reason Why They Can’t Have Voter ID

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently sat down on Jim Clyburn’s podcast, which is apparently a real thing that exists, and delivered what might be one of the most unintentionally hilarious arguments against voter ID laws yet. According to Newsom, we cannot possibly pass the SAVE Act, a bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, because people, including him, would not be able to find their birth certificates.

Gavin Newsom tells Jim Clyburn that he’d have trouble complying with the SAVE Act because he doesn’t know where to find his birth certificate:

“You've got to find your birth certificate. I have no clue where mine is."

Good lord. Just beyond parody. pic.twitter.com/mQZqQSXPVF

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 19, 2026

Take a second to let that sink in. A man who wants to run the United States of America cannot locate one of the most basic documents in his own life, and somehow that is supposed to be a compelling argument against election integrity.

As an aside, why does Jim Clyburn have a podcast? Is there a massive audience clamoring for extended audio commentary from a career politician? Apparently so. In this episode, Clyburn eagerly played along with Newsom’s hand wringing, nodding at the idea that requiring proof of citizenship is just too much to ask in modern America.

Townhall reported:

“Gavin Newsom Wants to Run the Country, but He Can’t Keep Track of His Own Birth Certificate”

Democrats think that being ignorant of the law or just plain stupid means we can never enact certain laws, specifically laws that Democrats don’t like. The latest target of their feigned ignorance and stupidity is the SAVE Act, which would require voters to prove they are American citizens in order to vote in American federal elections. Democrats believe that not only are Black, poor, and women voters too incapable of getting an ID, something they need for almost every facet of life, but now they’re pretending they too just have no idea how to keep track of vital records like birth certificates.

Gavin Newsom wants to be the next president, but we don’t think that office should be held by someone who doesn’t know where his birth certificate is.

That pretty much sums it up.

Newsom recently flew to Munich for a conference and then returned to California. Commercial airlines tend to frown on passengers boarding without identification. So how exactly did he manage that trip? Did the TSA just take his word for it? Did he smile and say, trust me, I’m the governor? Of course not. He had an ID. He used it. Just like every other adult in America who boards a plane.

And about that tired talking point regarding married women who change their names. Are we really supposed to believe that women across this country are stranded at airports every day because their identification does not match their married names? Millions of women manage to update their driver’s licenses, passports, bank accounts, and Social Security records without the republic collapsing. It happens all the time. It is called paperwork. Adults handle it.

The truth is simple. You need a valid ID to drive a car, buy a house, open a bank account, apply for a job, pick up certain prescriptions, and yes, fly on an airplane. The idea that voting, arguably one of the most important civic responsibilities in the country, should require less verification than renting a car is absurd.

Democrats oppose voter ID and measures like the SAVE Act because those measures make elections more secure. Secure elections limit opportunities for manipulation. That is not complicated. When your coalition relies on chaos, loose standards, and last minute ballot harvesting, stricter rules are not exactly appealing.

Instead of admitting that, they hide behind condescending arguments that suggest Americans are too incompetent to manage basic documentation. It is an insult to voters. Americans are perfectly capable of obtaining identification and keeping track of important records. If a governor cannot find his birth certificate, that sounds like a personal organizational problem, not a national crisis.

If Gavin Newsom truly believes Americans are incapable of proving who they are, maybe he should reconsider his presidential ambitions. Running the country requires a bit more responsibility than misplacing a file folder.