Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has long been at odds with Donald Trump, but his most recent tirade on X (formerly Twitter) worsened the conflict. The president’s overt pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize caused Newsom to become angry, accusing Trump of waging war on Americans rather than advocating peace.
On August 17, Gavin Newsom wrote, “Donald Trump is trying to get a Nobel Peace Prize? He sent the United States Marines into the United States of America. He’s bringing war to the American people.” This brought about an online political uproar.
The governor was far from done, even at this point.
He brushed aside the larger concept of national unity in a video that went with the post, accusing Donald Trump of only caring about “red states.” Trump, according to Gavin Newsom, was a “wartime president” who had sent Marines into D.C., aka one of the nation’s bluest cities — not Kabul or Baghdad. He claimed that Donald Trump used federal forces as weapons against Americans rather than foreign enemies, a move that Newsom described as a scary abuse of power.
Donald Trump is trying to get a Nobel Peace Prize?
He sent the United States Marines into the United States of America.
He’s bringing war to the American people. pic.twitter.com/J9Espndb6H
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 17, 2025
If Donald Trump’s camp was shocked by the first salvo, Newsom’s second broadside made the point very clear that same day. Speaking to a crowd, he attacked colleges that had sided with Trump, making it apparent that UCLA would not do the same.
“You can’t work with him. You only work for him. I’m not gonna work for Donald Trump. UCLA’s not gonna sell [its] soul like Harvard or Brown or Penn or Columbia—shame on all of them. We’re gonna fight like hell,” Gavin Newsom said in comments that were widely shared online and picked up close to two million views.
Higher education was not the only target of the jab. It was a clear signal that California, and thus Newsom, would establish itself as the most vocal opponent of Donald Trump’s second term in office. His direct claim that Trump “doesn’t believe in the USA” only bolsters his view of the president as a leader who divides rather than unites, which the people have had enough of in the past.
Gavin Newsom: “You can’t work with him. You only work for him. I’m not gonna work for Donald Trump. UCLA’s not gonna sell their soul like Harvard or Brown or Penn or Columbia. Shame on all of them. We’re gonna fight like hell.” pic.twitter.com/TKfrhosevn
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) August 17, 2025
The internet quickly piled on, as is always the case with a Newsom-Trump controversy. Trump’s ardent critics were quick to support the governor. “Give it to Newsom instead!” joked one account.
Others were more detailed, pointing out what they think is the absurdity of Trump’s effort to win a peace prize while sending 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June and seizing police control of Washington, D.C., earlier this month. “The quest for a Nobel Prize has a curious domestic policy component,” wrote an X user. “He’s redefining peace as the absence of dissent.”
Yet, not everyone celebrated Gavin Newsom’s tirade. Supporters of MAGA began vicious counterattacks in the ongoing conflict. While one said Newsom’s “endless whining is getting tiresome,” another user called him a criminal who “stole billions for his wife’s NGOs.” Another dubbed him a hypocrite and made fun of him for San Francisco’s cleanup during a high-profile visit by a Chinese delegation.
As both men reinforce their political brands for the long haul, Gavin Newsom and Trump’s feud worsens. Donald Trump continues to base his campaign on grievances and “law and order,” dismissing criminal indictments and controversy. Widely regarded as a Democratic standard-bearer-in-waiting, Gavin Newsom takes advantage of every chance to paint himself as a threat to democracy.
This was more than an online tiff. One man tried his best to show himself as the peacemaker, while the other warned that he was waging war at home. It was a peek at the modern-day battle cries that may as well define the next election!
