California Governor Gavin Newsom has escalated his battle with President Donald Trump into a full-fledged meme war, adopting the president's bombastic online style to counter Republican redistricting efforts and raise his own national profile.
In recent weeks, Newsom's official press office has filled social media feeds with all-caps posts, AI-edited memes, and parody-laden taunts aimed squarely at Trump. The posts, signed "GCN" in imitation of Trump's "DJT" signature, mocked the president's physical mannerisms, redistricting maneuvers, and even his cultural references.
"DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!!" read one post on X. Another declared, "STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES."
At a Thursday press conference, Newsom defended both his redistricting push-set for a November vote his team is calling "Liberation Day"-and his new online persona. "I'm just following his example," he told reporters. "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." He added, "The deeper question is how have we allowed the normalization of his tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years, to go without similar scrutiny and notice?"
A SUCCESSFUL LIBERATION DAY! THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/fS66ALFEaQ — Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 15, 2025
The satirical tone drew fire from the White House. "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!" White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
Newsom's team has not hesitated to amplify its mockery. One post claimed: "DONALD IS FINISHED - HE IS NO LONGER 'HOT.' 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."
Strategists say the approach is yielding dividends. Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, 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."
Recent polling suggests his visibility is growing. Emerson College recorded his support in the 2028 Democratic primary rising from 3 percent in March to 7 percent in June. Echelon Insights polls in mid-July placed him at 10 to 11 percent, just behind Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. A UC Irvine survey found his approval ratings climbing in California as Trump's fell.
Republican strategist Carter Wrenn argued that Newsom's tactics have pushed him into the Democratic spotlight. "Newsom, by standing up to Trump on redistricting, has landed himself in the spotlight in the Democrat presidential primary. That's not decisive, but it does give him a boost."
But others warn the meme war could prove a limited strategy. "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."
