California Gov. Gavin Newsom adopted a new strategy to counter President Donald Trump: Talk just like him.
The governor’s press account now writes posts exclusively in Trump’s style, including writing entire paragraphs in all caps and touting his own achievements.
His office even created nicknames for the president and his Cabinet. Trump’s is “TACO,” short for Trump Always Chickens Out. This acronym first appeared in The Wall Street Journal amid the administration’s delicate negotiations over tariffs.
Newsom’s latest target is a loyal Trump ally. Recently the governor’s press account shared a photo, generated most likely through artificial intelligence, of MAGA ally Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie dressed as Uncle Sam, pointing at the viewer. The text on the photo says “Kid Rock Wants You to Support Gavin Newsom.”
The caption alongside the photo said, “I ACCEPT!” and signed off with the governor’s initials, “GNC,” as Trump does with “DJT.”
Rock expressed a lack of support for the governor, with a little humor thrown in.
So, Newsom’s press office took another play from Trump’s book.
“I HATE KID ROCK!!!” the office wrote with a sign-off. The account followed up a few hours later: “HAS ANYONE NOTICED THAT SINCE I SAID ‘I HATE KID ROCK’ HE’S NO LONGER ‘HOT?’”
The made-up endorsement from Kid Rock is similar to when Trump falsely implied pop star Taylor Swift’s support for him through AI-generated images during the 2024 election. Weeks later, Swift declared her support for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
Newsom copies Trump. Is it working?
Newsom’s strategy evolved over the course of last week, after his first post mimicking Trump went viral.
At the time, in an attempt to provoke the Trump White House, Newsom’s office published a satirical threat against gerrymandering efforts in Texas.
“DONALD TRUMP, IF YOU DO NOT STAND DOWN, WE WILL BE FORCED TO LEAD AN EFFORT TO REDRAW THE MAPS IN CA TO OFFSET THE RIGGING OF MAPS IN RED STATES. BUT IF THE OTHER STATES CALL OFF THEIR REDISTRICTING EFFORTS, WE WILL DO THE SAME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
The post has 5 million views on X as of Aug. 20.
Some social media users expressed their amusement at the situation.
“I love that the future of the United States is gonna be determined by two Facebook uncles yelling at each other,” one user said.
Others remarked on whether it was a good Trump impression. The president “doesn’t use all caps — what he usually does instead is Randomly capitalize Words that He thinks are Important,” another user wrote.
The press account didn’t stop there. It posted various AI-generated satirical images of Newsom, including one where the governor is being blessed by Tucker Carlson and Hulk Hogan with angel wings and another where his face is on Mount Rushmore.
Why is Newsom changing the way he talks online
Newsom told reporters he hopes it’s a “wake-up call for the president.”
“I’m just following his example,” the California governor said. “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.”
“How have we allowed the normalization of (Trump’s) posts to go without similar scrutiny,” he said.
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell praised Newsom’s tactics as an opportunity for deeper reflection.
“It’s a teaching moment. He’s mirroring and reflecting what Donald Trump is doing, so to ask the country, ‘Is this who you want as your leader, somebody who debases us and reduces the dialogue?’ And yes, I mean, it’s silly, it’s cheeky, but it also is going on offense,” Swalwell said on CNN.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night, Newsom revealed he’d “changed.”
“The facts have changed,” he added. “We (Democrats) need to change.”
Conservatives had a different take. As Fox News’ Dana Perino said, “If I were his wife, I would say you are making a fool of yourself.”
“He’s got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job, he has to be a little more serious,” she added, while staying mum about Trump’s social media habits.
Newsom’s press account issued a pointed reply to Perino’s comments. “ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON’T GET IT.”
Perino stood her ground. During Tuesday’s taping of Fox News’ “The Five,” she said, “I thought they hated Trump, but they’re trying to be more like him and they have to pay people to do it.”
“The thing is, what I was saying yesterday is that I believe that everybody needs to find their own way,” Perino added.
Meanwhile, White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson labeled Newsom’s posts “weird and not at all funny.”
Carving a road to 2028
For Newsom, there’s an advantage to putting himself out there. Among the long list of potential candidates vying for a 2028 presidential run, Newsom is breaking through the noise and positioning himself as someone unafraid to pick a fight.
“Watching him go toe-to-toe with Trump on social media — an arena Trump has dominated for a decade — is refreshing, energizing and even fun to watch for many Democrats," Democratic strategist Anthony Coley told The Hill.
According to a recent poll, published by Echelon Insights, Newsom had the second-highest support (13%) behind Harris (26%) among Democratic contenders for 2028.
These results from August suggest Newsom is gaining popularity. Another Echelon Insights survey from April placed Newsom sixth with 4% behind former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who tied at 7%. Harris maintained a lead with 28%.
It’s tough to say whether Newsom’s new social media tactics will help him stay ahead. However, one thing is clear — he wants to position himself as the leader of the opposition against Trump.
Responding to news of Sony raising the prices on PS5 gaming consoles due to the market instability triggered by the tariffs, the governor’s press account said, “In Trump’s America, costs keep going up, up, up!”