Poli Sci Experts Predict How Gavin Newsom’s Brutal Mockery Of Trump And MAGA Will Resonate
The California governor is utilizing a particular strategy in his relentless attacks on Trump, and professors of political science have thoughts.
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and his team have recently escalated their social media attacks on President Donald Trump, his administration, and his most loyal supporters as part of the MAGA campaign. Their approach is simple: mock Trump using his own writing style and fighting spirit.
Last week, Newsom’s official press office account mimicked the president in an all-caps, Trump-like tweet in the context of a controversial Republican redistricting plot in Texas aimed at adding five more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives. (Newsom has since launched a campaign initiative in California asking the state’s voters to approve redistricting early to neutralize Republican gains in Washington.)
“CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS,’ THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!)” Newsom’s press office wrote.
In a subsequent tweet, the governor’s office mocked a photo of Trump pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin, posting a photo of Newsom doing the same to Trump on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport in January.
“TINY HANDS IS OUT HERE COPYING ME — BUT WITHOUT THE STAMINA (SAD), AND CERTAINLY WITHOUT THE ‘LOOKS.’ TOTAL BETA! — GCN” the tweet read.
Other posts from Newsom and his office mimicked Trump’s long speeches on his Truth Social platform or mocked some of the altered, AI-generated images that Trump and his MAGA supporters are known to promote.
But Newsom and his office didn’t stop at Trump. The governor’s press account “X” quickly responded to other online criticism, and Newsom and his team also made biting jokes about Vice President J.D. Vance.
This weekend, the California Democratic congressman referenced Vance’s controversial conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky before the Ukrainian president’s return to the Oval Office on Monday, sharing a widely circulated video of Vance awkwardly running at Disneyland in California this summer.
Newsom tweeted: “Go get ’em, JD!”
While some anti-Trump social media users praised Newsom and his team for their blistering attacks on the Trump administration, many prominent conservatives and MAGA supporters on the X platform, as expected, opposed this heavy-handed, tit-for-tat approach.
Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher called Newsom’s attacks “childish,” Dana Perino wondered if the governor’s wife would intervene to stop him from tweeting, and right-wing commentator Tomi Lahren mocked Newsom and his team as “alpha males” in a Twitter post.
Last week, Newsom told reporters that he hoped his attack would be a “wake-up call” and that “the fundamental question was: How did we allow his tweets and posts on Truth Social to be normalized” without “similar scrutiny and notification.”
But is this an effective approach to combating the Trump administration? Will Newsom’s attacks help energize the left? Read on for political scientists’ take.
Why is Newsom using satire to fight Trump?
“In the age of Trump, my sense is that both Democrats and Republicans are looking for effective ways to counter his unique style,” said Stephen J. Bala, associate professor of political science, public policy, public administration, and international affairs at George Washington University.
Bala added that these responses typically range from the “highway” approach to strategies aimed at “owning” Trump.
He said: “For now (at least) and in this specific case (at least), Newsom has chosen the membership approach. Why? I think this approach is perceived as a path to the Democratic nomination. In other words, it is popular with Democratic primary voters, who tend to be to the left of traditional Democrats. In other words, the target audience is progressive Democrats.”
Tabitha Bonilla, an associate professor of political science, human development, and social policy at Northwestern University, told The Huffington Post that she believes “Democrats are beginning to understand that the ‘traditional politics’ approach is no longer working.”
“They lost the election, Democratic popularity is low, and there have been many calls for reinvention (though not everyone agrees on what that means),” she said. “I think it’s clear that Governor Newsom is seeking to establish a leadership role within the party, and at the same time, adopting a style that mocks the president.”
“I think all of this is a way to highlight the difference in President Trump’s use of social media, but also to show that Governor Newsom can live up to the president’s game.” »
Jacob Neheisel, an associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, told the Huffington Post that he believes Newsom is responding to “elements of the Democratic base who want party leaders to fight Trump at all costs.”
Why are leftists cheering Newsom’s mockery of Trump?
While leftists have mixed views on how to confront the Trump administration—and on Newsom himself—many online Democrats welcome the governor’s approach to opposing Trump.
Neheisel believes this stems from the desire of some leftists to “take on Trump and adopt Trump-like tactics.”
“This approach doesn’t surprise me, given that parties tend to mimic each other on many issues, especially after a loss,” he said.
Balla believes this celebration is likely more virulent among progressive Democrats, “just as Trump’s messaging resonates with MAGA voters.”
“I think many voters in both parties are disillusioned by this mockery,” he said. But these voters are increasingly seen as relics of the past and are likely to be more moderate, and therefore less relevant in the primaries.
Bonilla said that while she hasn’t yet seen polling data indicating whether this approach to attacking the president “pushes public opinion too far,” she believes that for some Democrats, it’s exciting to see their leaders fighting Trump.
“At a time when the Trump administration has upended much of the government, increased the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and taken control of city governments, citizens are desperately looking for a way to express their concerns, frustration, and dissatisfaction with the current situation,” she said.
Is Newsom’s approach an effective strategy?
Newsom is widely expected to run for president in 2028. Are his potential political ambitions taken into account when assessing the effectiveness of his current attacks on Trump?
Bonilla said there is “no harm in delving into the reasons for a particular politician’s behavior,” but she believes that “most voters know how to determine whether what they are doing is trustworthy or whether they represent them first and foremost.”
But she doubts that questions about Newsom’s political ambitions are influencing the current public reaction to his attacks on Trump.
“However, I think it’s a mistake to believe that Newsom’s strategy is effective for the Democratic Party as a whole,” she said. “First, that kind of response risks becoming less meaningful as people turn to him.” Second, aside from ridiculing the president, I would be surprised if it did anything to completely restore public trust in the Democratic Party.”
Bala said Newsom’s attacks on Trump are “no different” from his own political ambitions. He added, “At the end of the day, is this an effective approach? Maybe to win the Democratic primary.”
Overall, Bala finds it interesting that the Democratic Party is “still so focused on Trump,” because, he said, “Trump is not going to be a candidate in 2028.”
“Would a Trump-like approach be effective in the next presidential election cycle?” “It depends in part on who the Republican candidate is, their strengths and weaknesses.” “Newsom (and other candidates against Trump) are likely to win the Democratic nomination, but they are not equipped to make the transition to the general election.”
But regardless of how Newsom’s offensive style evolves in the future, are his recent posts likely to upset the president?
Neheisel thinks so.
“Trump was offended by an inappropriate piece of art. I think it’s in his nature to oppose that kind of attack. It’s in his nature to respond on his behalf,” he said.
