The political feud between California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump has entered a new, brash chapter, with both sides trading blows not just in policy but in the language and tactics of social media. Over the past month, Newsom and his team have adopted a Trump-esque online persona, complete with all-caps posts, biting nicknames, and exaggerated boasts—much of it aimed squarely at the White House and its Republican allies.
The latest flashpoint came on Saturday, August 16, 2025, when Newsom’s office unveiled a new moniker for Vice President J.D. Vance: “Just Dance Vance.” The nickname, rolled out on X (formerly Twitter), was a pointed jab at Vance’s recent visit to Indianapolis, where he was rallying Republican support for a controversial redrawing of Indiana’s electoral map. According to Newsweek, this move is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to shore up Republican control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections—a strategy that’s also taken root in Texas, where GOP leaders are promising to secure five additional congressional seats through redistricting next year.
Newsom’s mocking posts are more than just political theater; they’re a calculated response to what he and many Democrats view as a “Trump takeover” of state-level electoral processes. The California governor has threatened that if Republican-led states like Texas and Indiana go through with their partisan map redraws, California will answer in kind. “California will not redraw its electoral map if Republican-led states give up on the idea—if not, they can expect a tit-for-tat from the Golden State which would effectively neutralize their efforts,” Newsweek reported. The stakes are high, and the rhetoric is only getting hotter.
In a particularly flamboyant post, Newsom’s office declared, “NOT EVEN JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE CAN SAVE TRUMP FROM THE DISASTROUS MAPS ‘WAR’ HE HAS STARTED. NOT EVEN HIS EYELINER LINES LOOK AS PRETTY AS CALIFORNIA ‘MAP’ LINES. HE WILL FAIL, AS HE ALWAYS DOES (SAD!) AND I, THE PEACETIME GOVERNOR—OUR NATION’S FAVORITE—WILL SAVE AMERICA ONCE AGAIN. MANY ARE NOW CALLING ME GAVIN CHRISTOPHER ‘COLUMBUS’ NEWSOM (BECAUSE OF THE MAPS!). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.” The all-caps, self-congratulatory tone is a clear riff on Trump’s own online style, which frequently features similar flourishes.
But why all the trolling? Newsom says he’s simply holding up a mirror to the president’s own behavior. Pressed by a reporter on August 14 about his increasingly provocative posts, Newsom replied, “I’m just following his example. If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he’s putting out as president.” The comment, reported by both Newsweek and Suggest, underscores the governor’s view that Trump’s online persona has set a new, lower bar for political discourse—and that turnabout is fair play.
The feud between the two men, however, goes far deeper than social media sniping. Earlier this summer, President Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to quell protests against his administration’s mass deportation efforts—over Newsom’s explicit objections. Trump justified the deployment as necessary for public order, but Newsom saw it as a gross overreach. “The deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president,” he called it, according to Newsweek. In response, California took the unprecedented step of suing the president for deploying federal troops without the governor’s permission. That case went to trial last week, with a decision expected soon.
The animosity has spilled into other areas as well. After Trump’s deployment of troops and the subsequent legal battle, the president reportedly mused about arresting Newsom for his handling of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles. “I’d do it if I were [border czar Tom Homan],” Trump was quoted as saying by Politico. “I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity. He’s done a terrible job.” Newsom, never one to back down, shot back at both Trump and Homan: “Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.”
The war of words has only intensified as the 2026 elections draw nearer. Newsom’s office has not only lampooned Trump with nicknames like “tiny hands” but has also taken aim at the president’s physical abilities, referencing Trump’s famous struggles with stairs. “DONALD IS FINISHED – HE IS NO LONGER ‘HOT,’” one post taunted, referencing Trump’s remarks about pop star Taylor Swift. “FIRST THE HANDS (SO TINY) AND NOW ME — GAVIN C. NEWSOM — HAVE TAKEN AWAY HIS ‘STEP.’ MANY ARE SAYING HE CAN’T EVEN DO THE ‘BIG STAIRS’ ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE — USES THE LITTLE BABY STAIRS NOW.”
The California governor’s team has also announced proposed new congressional maps, dubbing the day of their release “LIBERATION DAY FOR AMERICA.” In a direct threat to the Trump administration’s redistricting plans, Newsom’s office declared, “DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!), STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.”
The White House, for its part, has dismissed Newsom’s online antics as little more than desperate attention-seeking. In a statement, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Newscum’s obsession is getting a little creepy at this point. Gavin will never be ready for primetime!” The use of “Newscum”—a derogatory nickname for Newsom popularized by Trump supporters—reflects the no-holds-barred tone of the current political moment.
As the legal and political battles rage on, the question remains: how long will this war of words continue, and to what end? Newsom’s tenure as governor is set to end next year, but rumors swirl that he’s eyeing a presidential run. Whether his Trump-style trolling will help or hinder those ambitions is anyone’s guess. What is clear is that the fight over redistricting, federal authority, and the very tone of American politics is far from over. With both sides digging in, the country is left to watch—and perhaps wince—as the spectacle unfolds.
At a time when the stakes for American democracy feel especially high, the Newsom-Trump feud is a telling sign of just how personal—and performative—politics has become in the social media age.
