If Donald Trump thinks he is unflappable, Gavin Newsom has proved otherwise. Following some persistent trolling, the California Governor has evidently struck a nerve with the President. As expected, Trump’s response is as authentic and unfiltered as ever.
Newsom’s strategy for his political campaign has been relatively straightforward: he’s holding up a mirror to reflect President Donald Trump’s style back at him. His social media approach includes parodies of the president’s distinctive all-caps posts, with AI-generated images poking fun at the MAGA movement and even the musician Kid Rock.
In a conversation with Adam Mockler from MeidasTouch Network, Newsom explained, “I know there are some people who are offended by our all-caps parody of Trump, but I thought it’s time to put a mirror to Trump.”
RELATED: Gavin Newsom Hits Back at Trump Using the President’s Signature Insult Style – Gives Him a Nickname
Donald Trump didn’t hold back on Friday when asked about Newsom’s tactics.
He called the California governor “incompetent,” claiming, “I know Gavin very well. He’s an incompetent guy with a good line of bulls–t — and he doesn’t get the job done.” Newsom’s campaign tactic has accomplished the mission, and how!
Newsom didn’t waste any time, jumping on X (formerly Twitter) with a sharp comeback: “Such low energy. SAD!” This remark echoed a well-known insult often used by the person he was replying to.
By midweek, the spat had escalated to Truth Social. Donald Trump expressed frustration: “Gavin Newscum is way down in the polls. He is (…) the man who is destroying the once Great State of California. I will save California!!! President DJT.”
How did Newsom react to this? He kept it simple and posted: “Triggered.”
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RETWEET if you stand with Gavin Newsom! pic.twitter.com/XAnAVYK4M1
— Protect Kamala Harris ✊ (@DisavowTrump20) August 18, 2025
For Gavin Newsom, the recent social media kerfuffle is not merely an entertaining spectacle; it serves a higher purpose. He is leveraging the online trolling to illuminate what he perceives as a highly damaging political climate.
In the conversation with MeidasTouch, he said, “The point is to make the point about what is going on in this country. You have the president of the United States [who is] acting like a child, and you’ve got the chatbots on Fox that repeat 24/7 and are weaponizing his grievances, attacking vulnerable people, traumatizing communities.”
He encouraged Democrats to be more proactive: “We need to stand up, all of us at this moment. Less judgment, more fortitude (…) Meet this moment, not for ourselves, but for each other, for this country.”
Gavin Newsom, without blinking: He wants a Nobel Peace Prize while deploying Marines against his own people?
He didn’t bring peace, he brought the battlefield home.
Trump sent U.S. troops into U.S. cities.
Let that sink in. pic.twitter.com/722JHpP9bF
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) August 17, 2025
It’s a strategic challenge to Donald Trump by using his own communication style while addressing the subject of effective political leadership. Newsom’s tactic seems to resonate if the president’s response serves as an indicator.
While it remains to be seen if this turns into an ongoing conflict or fizzles out as another news cycle event, Gavin Newsom has achieved a rare feat in today’s political landscape; getting a genuine reaction from Donald Trump.
