Gavin Newsom has masterfully returned fire with his own sharp nicknames aimed at Donald Trump and his allies, turning the playbook of the former president against him. While Trump has long been known for inventing mocking nicknames that expose insecurity and sometimes backfire, the California governor initially stayed quiet. But by 2025, Newsom took on the challenge, coming up with nicknames that were both witty and burning.
One of Newsom’s standout responses came after Trump posted a baffling message on Truth Social simply stating “Bela” in August 2025. Newsom’s press office circulated a screenshot of the post on X, formerly Twitter, hastily dubbing Trump “Tiny hands,” a nod both to Trump’s physical stature and his often ridiculed online behavior.
The governor echoed Trump’s style, mimicking his lengthy, shouting all-caps rants on social media to make his point with equal theatricality.
Among the best-known is Newsom’s popularization of the acronym “TACO,” which stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. This name emerged from Wall Street traders irritated by Trump’s inconsistent tariff stances and was revived with viral momentum by Newsom in one of his August tweets. The nickname perfectly highlights Trump’s image as an indecisive leader prone to backtracking and thus effectively punches a hole in his tough-guy persona.
Vice President JD Vance was also targeted, receiving the playful nickname “Just Dance Vance.” The former San Francisco mayor’s office took the bait, pairing the name with a photoshopped image of Vance’s face put on Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, a viral Australian Olympic break-dancer.
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This nickname drew a notably annoyed reaction from Vance, who publicly dismissed Newsom’s attempts at replicating Trump’s style, calling out the lack of authenticity by saying, “This idea that Gavin Newsom is somehow going to mimic Donald Trump’s style… ignores the fundamental genius of President Trump’s political success, which is that he’s authentic. He just is who he is.”
Though Vance shrugged off the jabs, Newsom celebrated other hits. He nicknamed conservative strategist Stephen Miller “Voldemort” in a tweet responding to rumors about an HBO “Harry Potter” series casting the character. Miller’s moniker cleverly linked him to the infamous dark wizard known for secrecy and evasion.
The governor’s sharp wit extended further as he mocked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, rebranding her “KaroLYIN’ Leavitt,” suggesting dishonesty. He also revisited the infamous 2021 Texas winter storm controversy by tagging Senator Ted Cruz as “Cancún Cuz,” poking fun at Cruz’s controversial trip to Mexico during the crisis.
I, GAVIN NEWSOM, AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR, JUST RELEASED A BESTSELLER “THE ART OF THE TROLL.” IT’S DESTROYING DONALD TRUMP’S BOOK “THE ART OF SUCKING AT EVERYTHING.” ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO TEACHING DONALD ABOUT BATTERIES. THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! pic.twitter.com/LNBsGOATZb
— Governor Newsom Press Office (parody) (@AwesomeNewsom) August 20, 2025
Newsom even took aim at Fox News personalities, dubbing them with nicknames such as “Bird Brain Trey Gallagher,” “Garbageman” Greg Gutfeld, and Dana “Ding Dong” Perino.
Newsom’s choice of nicknames clearly shows that he can probably defeat Trump in his own game. The Republicans have naturally not been very pleased with these nicknames as they have been at the receiving end of Newsom’s humor and sarcasm. Their response to Newsom’s given names also show that they only enjoy it when it is them who are doing it. Once the table turns, the same game annoys them and leads to criticism of the person coming up with the hilarious names.
