“Newsom was right about everything!”
This slogan is plastered across California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new merchandise. The hats are part of Newsom’s new attempts to imitate President Donald Trump for publicity, including a flurry of mocking social media posts on his press office’s X account. But the phrase also demonstrates the hypocritical arrogance of Newsom’s new rhetoric. Instead of critiquing Trump’s crude tone, Newsom has effectively adopted the same harmful immaturity.
In recent months, Newsom released numerous social media posts that imitate Trump’s own social media history. Many are written entirely in capital letters or littered with incorrectly placed quotation marks and repeated exclamation points. Newsom has even copied Trump’s tendency to post false information and AI images. Although Newsom is attempting to criticize Trump’s rhetorical style, both men’s posts equally abandon the dignity and integrity expected of American politicians.
Most of Newsom’s ironic posts serve as targeted insults instead of relevant political statements. In one X post, rather than critiquing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s policies, Newsom comments on an infamous brain worm that formerly infected Kennedy. In another directionless rant about the recent government shutdown, he unpromptedly antagonizes musician Kid Rock. In a different X post referencing Stephen Miller, Newsom called the deputy chief of staff “‘SUBMISSIVE STEPHEN’” and said he was in “‘TIME OUT’” with “no juice box.”
Attention-focused political speech does nothing to improve America. Newsom’s posts — and the original Trump posts that he is mimicking — do not practically address inflation, immigration raids or any other serious political issues. They do not even inform Americans about proposed policies to critique or support. Instead, Newsom simply sinks to the lowest common denominator demonstrated by Trump: petty bullying.
Practically speaking, Newsom’s strategy appears tailored to maximize his online influence. One post proposing a White House Epstein party received over 667,000 views — nearly 10 times more than his post about authoritarianism from the same week. An entirely capitalized post with an AI generated image depicting Newsom winning the imaginary “Kennedy Center Inaugural Peace Prize” got over 18,000 likes. Conversely, his post about LA fire relief got less than 1,500 likes. Callousness and deception create the shock value Newsom needs to reach more feeds.
Newsom may assume that overcoming Trump is more important than maintaining a traditional political tone, but his strategy extends Trump’s influence instead of reducing it. Newsom’s most ridiculous posts earned him articles in Politico, The Guardian and The Washington Post.
Every time his imitation of Trump heightens his level of fame, it shows other politicians that dramatic and careless statements are the most reliable path to political power. It teaches citizens that online attention matters more than thoughtful negotiation, and Trump’s chaotic influence becomes further entrenched in the American understanding of democracy. If Newsom prioritizes popularity over promoting a healthier leadership style, he doesn’t defeat Trump — he becomes him.
Many also believe that Newsom’s new media strategy is acceptable because it clearly satirizes Trump’s own rhetoric. Even so, it is unsettling to watch Newsom’s feed grow more careless and degrading. Newsom recently helped pass Proposition 50 in an attempt to add more Democrats to Congress. With such significant political power as governor of California, he does not have to turn to satire as a last resort to defy or criticize Trump.
Social media posts also spread beyond the United States. A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that majorities in foreign countries did not believe Trump was honest, diplomatic or able to understand complex problems. If many American politicians copy Trump to gain political influence, those negative expectations will extend to the entirety of the U.S. government and country as a whole. Viral posts may benefit the political careers of individuals, but they degrade America’s reputation and undermine the surety of its international alliances.
It can be tempting to simply laugh at Newsom’s posts and move on. To some, it may feel rewarding for someone to speak about Trump the way he speaks about others. But even if the posts are satisfying in the short term, humor cannot become the mark of a successful political career. The government controls America’s finances, military and social systems. Its influence should be determined by level-headedness and a cooperative spirit instead of witty insults.
Inappropriate rhetoric will harm the country no matter who is making the childish taunts. In order to transition the United States into an era of healthy political leadership, voters must resist the insidious bait Newsom is offering. The American people deserve better.
Ruby Goodwin is an Opinion Intern for the winter 2026 quarter. She can be reached at regoodwi@uci.edu.
Edited by Casey Mendoza and Kailee Kim
Interested in becoming an intern or a contributing writer for the Opinion section?
Contact us at opinion@newuniversity.org!
