California Governor Gavin Newsom and former President Donald Trump have never shied away from public sparring, but their rivalry reached new heights in late August 2025, igniting a digital firestorm that blended political theater, policy disputes, and the ever-evolving tactics of online trolling. As both men gear up for what many see as a preview of the 2028 presidential contest, their latest clash unfolded across social media, podcasts, and the national press—each side eager to claim the upper hand in a battle for public opinion.
The latest episode began with a viral moment on August 29, 2025, when Newsom seized on a trending controversy: an AI-generated fake Vanity Fair cover depicting Melania Trump as "The American Queen," complete with the tagline "Fashion, power & the art of saying nothing." According to Daily Mail and Semafor, the fabricated cover was inspired by reports that Vanity Fair's new global editorial director, Mark Guiducci, was considering featuring Melania Trump on the magazine’s real cover as part of an effort to broaden the publication’s appeal to conservative readers.
The proposal, however, triggered immediate backlash inside Vanity Fair. As Daily Mail reported, some staff members were so incensed at the idea of “normalizing this despot and his wife” that one unnamed editor threatened to walk out, declaring they’d rather “work bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s” than participate in such a project. The internal drama spilled onto social media, where the fake cover was widely shared and debated.
Newsom, never one to miss an opportunity for satire, responded with a parody of his own: a doctored Vanity Fair cover featuring himself wearing a crown, under the headline "The American King" and the cheeky tagline "Hair, Gel and the Art of Being So Handsome." His press office amplified the joke by posting, in all-caps, “AN HONOR! THANK YOU!!!”—a deliberate nod to Trump’s signature social media style. The post quickly went viral, racking up millions of views and sparking a new round of partisan commentary.
Supporters on the left relished Newsom’s trolling. One fan wrote, “Hahahahahaha!!!! ‘I’m in love with myself.’ ~Gavin Newsom,” while another praised, “Gavin Newsom is the best troller. I love seeing MAGAS upset over nothing.” Conservative critics, meanwhile, were less amused. “He’s making himself look really juvenile. Trump has clearly got under his skin big time,” one detractor commented. Another dismissed the stunt, saying, “Gavin has nothing better to do with this time. Literally.”
But Newsom’s digital strategy is about more than just memes. As reported by Newsmax, the governor has increasingly mirrored Trump’s own online tactics—adopting all-caps posts, selling parody merchandise, and engaging in a kind of performative combat that blurs the line between politics and entertainment. His online store now features items like a red baseball cap reading “Newsom was right about everything!”—a clear riff on MAGA branding. Within hours of launching, Newsom claimed the store generated over $100,000 in sales, though these figures have not been independently verified.
This approach seems to be paying political dividends. According to a recent Emerson poll cited by Daily Mail, Newsom is now leading among Democratic primary voters for the potential 2028 presidential election, suggesting that his confrontational posture toward Trump is resonating with the party’s base and boosting his national profile.
Yet beneath the social media theatrics, the stakes are anything but trivial. On the very same day as the Vanity Fair parody, Newsom took to the Pivot podcast to accuse Trump of attempting to rig the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. He alleged that the former president was pressuring GOP-controlled states to redraw congressional maps in Republicans’ favor and deploying intimidation tactics at the polls. “We have to recognize that there are no limits with this guy, and if he can rig next year’s election, I mean we joke about not having another one. I don’t think that’s a joke,” Newsom told host Kara Swisher. “He will wire this for the next 20, 30 years. If it’s a JD [Vance], it doesn’t even matter. He will wire it.”
Newsom went further, warning that “he’s already sending out mass people to intimidate folks. When we launched our campaign, he did it down in Little Tokyo in LA. Do you think ICE is not going to show up around voting and polling booths to chill participation? You know that. The National Guard, you know that. Everybody knows what’s at stake. So, we have to put a stake in the ground and do things differently.”
The White House fired back swiftly. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, speaking to Newsmax, accused Newsom of “stoking fear about the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.” She added, “It’s no secret that Newscum puts illegal aliens before law-abiding American citizens; now he’s just saying the quiet part out loud,” using a nickname for Newsom popularized by Trump.
The feud between Newsom and Trump has been simmering for months, exacerbated by policy disputes and legal battles. Tensions escalated in June 2025, when Trump federalized California’s National Guard without Newsom’s approval to quell civil unrest in Los Angeles and protect ICE agents and federal buildings. Newsom is now leading a court challenge against the federal deployment, arguing it was unconstitutional—a move that has further inflamed partisan divisions.
Meanwhile, Newsom has not hesitated to question Trump’s cognitive abilities, his commitment to democracy, and what he sees as symbolic provocations—like the “Trump 2028” hats sent his way by the president’s supporters. He’s also taken aim at Trump’s semiconductor deals, labeling them “reckless,” and is pushing for redistricting in California that could tilt House representation in Democrats’ favor.
For all the bluster and barbs, the rivalry between Newsom and Trump is about more than personal animus. It’s a window into the evolving nature of American politics, where social media savvy, meme warfare, and performative outrage are as much a part of the contest as policy proposals and legislative battles. Both men understand that in the age of viral content, the fight for attention is often the fight for political power.
As the dust settles from this latest round of trolling and counter-trolling, one thing is clear: the Newsom-Trump rivalry is likely to remain a central drama in American politics—part spectacle, part substance, and always closely watched by a nation eager for the next twist.