California Governor Gavin Newsom is punching back at President Donald Trump — in memes and capital letters.
Over the past few weeks, Newsom’s official press office has turned its social media feed into a stream of all-caps threats, pop culture parodies and AI-edited meme content, aimed squarely at mocking Trump in style while countering Republican initiatives in substance. The tone is snarky, combative, and unmistakably modeled on the president’s online persona.
“DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!!” read one of the governor’s recent X posts. “STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.”
The missive was part of Newsom’s response to a Trump-backed redistricting plan in Texas that could give Republicans up to five more seats in Congress. Newsom announced he would pursue a special election to redraw California’s own congressional maps — an effort to offset potential GOP gains.
At a press conference Thursday, Newsom defended both the redistricting plan — now set for a November vote his team is calling “Liberation Day,” a jab at Trump’s use of the same phrase for his April tariff rollout — and his increasingly aggressive online presence.
“I don’t know — I hope it’s a wake-up call,” he said. “I’m following the president’s example. If you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president… The deeper question is how we’ve allowed the normalization of his tweets and social posts over the last many years to go without similar scrutiny and notice.”
Newsom’s memes have included calling Trump “Donald ‘TACO’ Trump” — shorthand for “Trump Always Chickens Out” — editing his rants into Star Wars villain voiceovers, comparing Trump adviser Stephen Miller to Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, and mocking a post in which he criticized the Smithsonian.
tHE SMIthsONiaN IS suPPOSeD tO bE A GLObAL SyMBOL Of aMErICan StrEngTh, CULtuRE aNd prestIgE. A pLaCE for FaMilIes aNd chiLDReN To cElEbRaTE aMErIcAN HisToRy anD GreatnEss. INSTEad, tHe ExhibITS havE cleARLY bEen taKen OVER By lEfTwIng AcTiViStS whO hAVe useD ThE SmitHSOnIan As… https://t.co/JIw35UxnY6
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 14, 2025
‘Looking for a Fighter’
Newsom’s polling in early Democratic primary matchups has climbed sharply since February, in the aftermath of the worst wildfires to sweep through Los Angeles in decades.
“People thought his career was over. Now, he’s in the top three in every poll,” strategist Mike Madrid, a political consultant and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee, told Newsweek.
“Democrats are looking for a fighter. It’s not about ideology anymore. You can be centrist or progressive — what matters is that you stand up and hit back. The more aggressive Newsom gets, the more support he builds.”
Then how is Voldemort in the White House? https://t.co/A02BqIcNbi pic.twitter.com/zorHsx3s5m
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) July 15, 2025
A June Emerson College survey showed Newsom rising to 7 percent in the 2028 Democratic primary — up from 3 percent in March. A mid-July Echelon Insights poll placed him at 10 to 11 percent, just behind Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg. A UC Irvine poll in California showed his approval ratings rebounding as Trump’s declined.
“Newsom, by standing up to Trump on redistricting, has landed himself in the spotlight in the Democrat presidential primary,” said Republican strategist Carter Wrenn. “That’s not decisive, but it does give him a boost.”
Online and On Offense
While Democrats have struggled to match the GOP’s meme machine, Newsom’s team is adopting his own tactics: trolling, parody, and cultural references designed to go viral and shift the narrative in Democrats’ favor.
Arroyo: Greg Abbott who is in a wheelchair and Newsom said he rolled over for Trump. We asked for a statement and Newsom’s office said something flippant oh like you are so woke, he will get over it. pic.twitter.com/qLJmV6uAZr
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2025
That strategy was on display when Fox News asked for comment after Newsom said Texas Governor Greg Abbott “rolled over for Trump.” Abbott uses a wheelchair, and the question drew a sharp, unapologetic response.
“No. But how woke of you to ask! I’m sorry Greg’s feelings were hurt. Poor guy — we hope he recovers,” said Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s deputy communications director, in a statement that circulated widely online.
Still laughing at this statement from Newsom’s team to Fox https://t.co/KWY2xCJaGx pic.twitter.com/DLOLjAH2h5
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 15, 2025
The comment sparked outrage from conservatives but drew praise from liberal influencers. “Still laughing at this statement from Newsom’s team to Fox,” posted the popular left-wing account MeidasTouch. “He is absolutely ruthless & giving Republicans every ounce of their own medicine,” wrote Democratic strategist Victor Shi.
Matt Bennett, co-founder of the center-left think tank Third Way, told Newsweek the approach taps into something deeper: “His online taunting of the president is well-crafted and funny, and it’s become a source of real catharsis for Democrats who seethe all day at Trump’s outrages,” Bennett said.
“But more than that, Newsom is one of the few Democrats who’s figured out how to gain actual leverage to counterattack — not just posture, but act.”
Meme Wars Go Both Ways
Trump’s own digital tactics are well known. His White House social media team regularly posts AI-edited images — Trump as a lightsaber-wielding Jedi, or in papal robes with the caption “Pope Trump.” His team has used memes to frame hardline policies, like a stylized video showing shackled immigrants being deported, as part of what analysts call a “shock-and-spectacle” communications model.
Happy Valentine’s Day
pic.twitter.com/6d7qmo7gtz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 14, 2025
“Trump doesn’t just provoke — he floods the zone with images and slogans until his narrative becomes the only one in the room,” Alex Patton, a former GOP strategist, told Newsweek.
But for Madrid, Newsom’s approach has the potential to resonate with Democratic voters because this moment isn’t about pushing a policy agenda — it’s about breaking through in the online attention wars. He noted that Democrats across the spectrum, from Arizona’s Ruben Gallego, a centrist, to New York’s Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, have thrived by taking their own aggressive stances.
“Newsom is disrupting that model, one meme at a time. He’s showing Democrats they don’t have to play defense on social media — they can troll back and shape the conversation before it gets away.”
A SUCCESSFUL LIBERATION DAY! THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/fS66ALFEaQ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 15, 2025
Still, some observers warn that viral appeal doesn’t always translate into broad support.
“His aggressive social media speaks to and energizes a small group of people who spend a lot of time online,” said Democratic strategist Doug Gordon. “But social media is not real life, and most voters will never see it. What Democratic primary voters really want are leaders who can effectively push back against the authoritarian moves we are seeing from the Trump Administration.”
Gordon added that the redistricting plan will be Newsom’s real test. “If he can muscle it through before 2026, that will certainly help him if he chooses to run in 2028.”
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