Gavin Newsom Explains the Social Media Strategy Behind His Viral Trump Trolling
California Gov. Gavin Newsom started going the extra mile while trolling President Donald Trump on social media this week, posting in all-capped X tirades just as the president is known to do on Truth Social. Speaking to members of the press on Thursday during a press conference and rally for his Nov. 4 special election on redistricting the state, the governor explained the unlikely social media strategy and shut down critics who say it’s “unbecoming” of his position.
“I hope it’s a wakeup call. The President of the United States — I’m sort of following his example. And if you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president,” the governor said at the end of the press conference.
“So to the extent it’s gotten some attention, I’m pleased,” he continued. “But I think 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?”
In a video interview that same day with MeidasTouch, the governor specifically called out critics of the social media strategy this week, bemoaning that “everyone’s so offended” but still neglects to hold the president to that same standard of decorum.
“We tried to raise a little awareness around that, tried to take what he’s doing and push it back in his direction. Now everyone’s so offended. ‘It’s so unbecoming of your position.’ But not the president of the United States that calls people nicknames?” Newsom questioned. “This is a serious, serious moment and requires serious people, requires serious journalism.”
Governor Newsom on the media’s feigned outrage over his Trump-style posts: What an admission! Where have they been not asking Donald Trump this? pic.twitter.com/WQKwzjr6gj
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 15, 2025
Positing why traditional news media have been quicker to question his social media mockery of Trump while the president’s behavior has been normalized, Newsom said, “They’re scared to death, because he’ll cancel them.”
Newsom’s office, led be a group of unnamed staffers, first began trolling Trump with tweets fashioned after the president’s incendiary social media style on Tuesday.
“DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!),” Newsom’s press office posted. “STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.”
The post quickly went viral, and Newsom’s team has continued the trend all week. On Thursday morning, they poked fun at Trump’s complaint about not being nominated for prestigious awards like the Nobel Peace Prize or a Kennedy Center Honor.
“MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING — AND I AGREE — THAT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM (AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR) DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE,” the post read. “WHY? BECAUSE OF THE ‘MOST INCREDIBLE MAPS IN THE HISTORY OF MAPPING’ (EVEN COLUMBUS). THESE MAPS WILL END THE ‘VERY RIGGED’ ELECTIONS, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN (MAGA!!!), RETAKE CONGRESS ‘FOR THE PEOPLE’, AND SAVE DEMOCRACY.”
The post went on to call out Trump specifically once again, wrapping up with “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER” (a phrase the president has taken to using to sign off his posts).
We’ll see how long Newsom keeps up the strategy, but it’s certainly caught a lot of attention. The question is: Will it become the “wake-up call” the governor wants it to be?
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly named Newsom’s digital director as being solely responsible the social media strategy. This post has been updated to correct that. TheWrap regrets the error.
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