California Governor Gavin Newsom is no stranger to controversy, but his latest social media antics have set off a firestorm across the political spectrum. In recent weeks, Newsom’s official press office account on X (formerly Twitter) has gone all-in on parodying former President Donald Trump’s bombastic online style, complete with all-caps pronouncements, wild accusations, and tongue-in-cheek memes. The move has delighted many Democrats, infuriated Republicans, and drawn sharp criticism from media figures and political commentators alike.
It all began in earnest in mid-August 2025. Newsom’s team unleashed a series of posts that expertly mimicked Trump’s signature style—think Truth Social-like screeds, cap-locked hyperbole, and over-the-top manipulated images. One particularly viral post featured an AI-generated image of Newsom being “blessed” by MAGA celebrities Kid Rock, Tucker Carlson, and the late WWE legend Hulk Hogan, who appeared in the image with angel wings and a halo. Newsom captioned the image simply, "so nice," a wry nod to the kind of content Trump’s own White House account has shared, including AI images of Trump being blessed by deceased celebrities or reimagined as the Pope.
According to France 24, Newsom’s digital strategy is more than just trolling—it’s a calculated effort to show Democrats how to beat Trump at his own game. "I've got kids, and I've got a whole generation of people who think this is normal. It is not, and it can't be normalized, and that's a big part of what we're also pushing back against," Newsom told historian and podcast host Heather Cox Richardson. Newsom’s posts often end with Trump’s much-mocked sign-off: “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
The governor’s satirical approach has included manipulated images of himself on Mount Rushmore, praying with MAGA favorites, and even a fake endorsement poster styled after the iconic Uncle Sam Army recruitment ads. In one instance, Newsom’s account thanked Kid Rock for a "support" poster, prompting the rocker—who once dubbed Trump an “American Badass”—to fire back, "The only support Gavin Newscum will ever get out of me is from DEEZ NUTZ." Newsom’s press office responded in kind, posting, “I HATE KID ROCK !!!” on August 19, 2025.
But the jokes haven’t landed with everyone. Fox News host Dana Perino, herself a former White House press secretary under President George W. Bush, called Newsom’s antics "inauthentic" and accused him of "making a fool" of himself. On August 19, 2025, she responded on air, “We get the joke, it’s just not funny.” Newsom’s office, undeterred, fired back with an all-caps post: “FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA’S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR (‘RATINGS KING’) SAVING AMERICA.”
The Republican backlash has been swift and fierce. According to NJ.com, conservative commentators have accused Newsom of elitism and disdain for working-class Americans. Richard Grenell, Trump’s presidential envoy and Kennedy Center president, claimed Newsom wasn’t even running his own account, writing, “It’s some new team he’s hired who has convinced him to step aside and let them try something new. He’s so phony. He’s not even able to tweet on his own!” Newsom’s team shot back with their trademark snark: “The Kennedy Center’s janitor caught us.”
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani chimed in, asking, “I wonder how all the hardworking janitors—many currently working overnight in quiet, empty buildings as I post this—feel about Newsom’s disdain for their profession and livelihood?” Far-right activist Laura Loomer added, “Gavin Newsom should never be President because he doesn’t understand that you’re supposed to treat the janitor with the same level of respect as the CEO.” Other users echoed the sentiment, accusing Democrats of mocking blue-collar professions and driving working-class voters into the Republican camp.
Despite the criticism, Newsom’s strategy appears to be working—at least in terms of digital engagement. According to CNN figures cited by France 24, followers of Newsom’s official press office account on X have soared by 450 percent since mid-June 2025, and daily Google searches for the governor are up 500 percent since August 1. Supporters have flooded social media with their own Trump-style memes of Newsom, including images of him as a muscle-bound action hero or riding into battle on a velociraptor.
Yet the risks are real. Jeff Le, a former deputy cabinet secretary for ex-Governor Jerry Brown, told AFP that while Newsom’s “tongue-in-cheek” approach resonates with digital-native Democrats, it’s “not without risk.” He warned, “If there is a terrible natural disaster—a catastrophic fire or mudslide—it’s fair to say that the White House keeps score, and the president may be less inclined to provide timely federal government support and funding for the response.”
Meanwhile, Newsom has used his newfound digital clout to wade into the ongoing redistricting battle between California and Texas. As reported by NJ.com, Newsom introduced the “Election Rigging Response Act” to counter a Republican-led effort in Texas to add up to five safe seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. In a typical all-caps post, Newsom’s account declared, “DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, ‘MISSED’ THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS,’ THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!).”
Political observers see Newsom’s digital strategy as part of a larger play for national attention. A new poll published August 20, 2025, shows him leading former Vice President Kamala Harris in a hypothetical Democratic presidential primary in California—a sign that his unconventional approach may be resonating with voters at home, even as it polarizes the national conversation.
The White House, for its part, has mostly shrugged off Newsom’s barbs. In response to the governor’s latest meme offensive, officials shared with AFP an image repurposed from the TV show "Mad Men"—a visual statement that Trump is unfazed and doesn’t think about Newsom at all. Politico described it as the first-ever official White House press statement delivered exclusively in meme form.
As the digital sparring continues, one thing is clear: Newsom’s willingness to meet Trump’s online bravado with satire and spectacle has upended the usual rules of political messaging. Whether this approach will pay off in the long run—or backfire in moments of crisis—remains to be seen. For now, though, Newsom is relishing his role as the Democratic Party’s meme-lord-in-chief, and the nation is watching, one all-caps post at a time.
