California Governor Gavin Newsom has decided that the best way to keep his name in the headlines is not by solving problems in his state but by becoming a full-time internet troll.
Instead of focusing on California’s soaring costs of living, rising crime, and failing infrastructure, he has turned his attention to social media spats with Donald Trump. His staff churns out memes, all-caps tweets, and snarky one-liners as if Sacramento has been converted into a marketing office for Twitter.
Politico recently crowned Newsom as being at the “top” of social media thanks to his trolling. The approach is not subtle. Newsom has borrowed directly from Trump’s own playbook, hoping that mimicking his style will make him look like a contender on the national stage. All caps rants, AI-generated memes, and flashy insults aimed at Trump and Republicans fill his feed. He has become a caricature of the internet politician, loud and attention-seeking but offering no meaningful solutions. Conservatives and even some Democrats are starting to notice that this is more about self-promotion than leadership.
Vice President J.D. Vance mocked the governor’s efforts, pointing out that trying to imitate Trump only makes him look inauthentic. Vance argued that Democrats should try being genuine instead of throwing themselves into cheap copycat politics. The fact that Newsom seems to believe he can meme his way into higher office says a lot about how unserious his strategy has become. Winning retweets is not the same as winning elections, and voters can see through the act.
Still, the stunt has brought him attention. Media outlets have covered his trolling as if it were a sign of political strength. Data analysts on cable news gush about his rising social media numbers, and betting markets have inched his odds for 2028 higher. For a politician who thrives on attention, that may be enough in the short term. But California’s voters may wonder why their governor spends more time acting like an influencer than addressing their daily struggles with housing costs, electricity prices, and public safety.
The truth is that Newsom is not governing so much as auditioning. He wants to be seen as the heir to the Democratic nomination if Vice President Harris falters, but he has no clear message beyond attacking Trump. California’s elections and redistricting fights are becoming messy, but those issues get ignored while Newsom churns out another AI meme. The performance is polished for social media, but it leaves real questions unanswered. What does he actually stand for, beyond being louder than the next guy?
If Newsom’s goal is to look relevant, he has succeeded in the shallowest way possible. He has created a persona that keeps him in the news cycle, but it is a persona built on trolling, not leadership. For conservatives, it is easy to mock. The governor of the largest state in the country is acting like a man at the punch bowl desperate for someone to notice him. He may think he is outsmarting Trump by trolling him online, but all he has really proven is that he knows how to waste time.
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