California Governor Gavin Newsom seems to have discovered an effective way to annoy President Trump: by acting like him.
To energize his own Democratic base, Newsom adopts strategies straight from Trump’s playbook, mirroring the president’s rants and social media behavior.
Recently, the governor has been pushing a “beautiful” mid-rezoning initiative and hosting his own “beautiful” rally.
Like Trump, he has started posting on social media using all capital letters.
He even coined a playful nickname for Trump: “Tacos,” which stands for “Trump’s Always Chickens,” a jab that originated on Wall Street in response to Trump’s tariff strategies aimed at undermining his administration.
Newsom’s actions have caught media attention from various angles, especially among Democrats eager to see their party challenge Trump.
The HuffPost called him out in a piece headlined “He’s on a troll,” featuring a smiling photo of him. Fox News discussed his attempts to mimic Trump during their “Five” segment.
“The Democrats have become a nice guy party,” remarked Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. He suggested that the party’s willingness to play by old rules shows they’re struggling to confront Trump effectively.
Since the November election, the Democrats have seemed somewhat aimless, facing challenges in regaining their footing.
A Wall Street Journal poll from late last month noted that the party’s popularity has dropped to its lowest in three decades, with only 33% of voters expressing favorable views of them.
However, Newsom’s new tactics appear to invigorate the party, according to Simmons and others.
“Gavin Newsom resonates with the Democratic base,” Simmons continued.
“Seeing him challenge Trump on social media—where Trump has dominated for a long time—feels fresh and fun for many Democrats,” said Anthony Corey, another Democratic strategist who previously worked in the Biden administration.
A recent survey by Echelon Insights revealed a boost for Newsom in the 2028 presidential race, showing him in second place behind Kamala Harris, who garnered 26% of the support.
Newsom’s press room is aware of the momentum he’s gaining by reflecting Trump’s style. However, his jabs also extend to other opponents like Vice President JD Vance. This week, a post humorously edited Vance’s image to feature him as an Australian breakdancer.
Other Republicans, including former White House press secretary Dana Perino, have been targeted too. “We have to put an end to that behavior on Twitter,” Perino commented. “If I were his wife, I’d say, ‘You’re making a fool of yourself. You’re doing a great job as governor, but if you aspire to more, you need to be more serious.’”
Support for Newsom’s online initiatives seems to be on the rise; his office’s X account had nearly 400,000 followers as of Tuesday afternoon.
Yet, veteran Republican strategist Kevin Madden questioned the Democrats’ emphasis on “communication tactics” rather than their core message. “Newsom’s approach reflects this,” he said, pondering whether his increased online presence has truly altered the public discourse or merely attracted clicks.
Madden noted, “There’s little evidence that this strategy is effective so far,” but it does position him prominently within the party’s future leadership discussions.
Democratic strategist Christy Setzer suggested that Newsom’s “trolling” aims at two audiences: Democrats wanting a real confrontation with Trump and the media, which she feels often normalizes Trump’s behavior.
“I’m surprised it’s taken Democrats this long to respond in this way,” Setzer remarked.
“By going after Trump, he may have struck a nerve. And has anyone noticed that Trump has stopped using all caps in his posts following Newsom’s example?” she added.
Setzer concluded, “No one can be more Trump than Trump himself. But as a tactic to gain attention, he’s certainly succeeded.”
