Critics raise stink about Gavin Newsom’s diaper plan

California governor's plan to supply diapers for newborns cleverly disguises a grift for his wife's pal, critics say.

Published May 11, 2026  •  2 minute read

(Left to right) Kelly Sawyer Patricof, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Norah Weinstein pose for photos at Baby2Baby x Golden State Start event at Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco. Photo by Miikka Skaffari /Getty Images

Critics say California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to offer free diapers to newborns in that state is “grifting nonsense,” the New York Post reports.

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The Democrat governor announced the Golden State Start initiative late last week, which partners with non-profit Baby2Baby, which gives every baby born in participating hospitals 400 diapers for free.

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But Newsom has come under fire, facing accusations of corruption after it came out that the nonprofit involved is led by an executive who also sits on the board of his wife’s gender equity organization. Sibel Newsom co-founded the California Partners Project, which helped form the partnership. On that group’s board sits Norah Weinstein, the co-CEO of Baby2Baby. Critics are claiming there’s undue and overlapping influence between state programs and affiliated nonprofits.

“Instead of taking our money, putting into some scheme that benefits their friends and cronies,” Republican candidate for governor Steve Hilton said. “Why don’t they let us just keep more of our money in the first place so we can decide how to spend our money?

“Why is it three times more expensive for Gavin Newsom to send diapers to 100,000 babies than just leaving the money in the bank accounts of the parents in the first place? Because it’s going to some total bullshit nonprofit which the cronies of his are going to make money,” he added on X.

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‘Peak government stupidity’

Peter Basios, a former organic baby formula entrepreneur, crunched the numbers of the program’s plan on X., calling it “peak government stupidity.”

“California is about to spend $20 million of taxpayer money to give 100,000 newborns 400 diapers each through Baby2Baby. Do the math with me: 100,000 babies × 400 diapers = 40 million diapers. $20,000,000 ÷ 40,000,000 = $0.50 per diaper!!!!!” he wrote.

“Now walk into any Costco in California and you can buy the same quality diapers for .12 to .15 cents each! That’s $48 to $60 for 400 diapers. So the state is paying 8–10x more per diaper than a regular family buying in bulk. They could’ve just handed every low-income new mom $100 cash and told her to go to Costco. She’d get more diapers, better ones if she wanted, and still have money left for formula, wipes, or whatever the hell she actually needs.”

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