Newsom trolling spree shows signs of success; Bannon gives California governor credit
Nobody is getting under MAGA’s skin quite like California Gov. Gavin Newsom. And it’s not just comical — it’s effective. Every cable news channel is talking about him, weekly if not daily.
Newsom, who many believe is a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, has taken a page straight from Donald Trump’s playbook. He’s leaning into Trump’s bombastic posting style and serving it back to him, stunt for stunt. His trolling includes a photoshopped image of Mount Rushmore with his face on it, a mock-up of himself as a king on the cover of Time magazine, and even an AI-generated image of Newsom surrounded by Tucker Carlson, the late Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock — before writing in all caps that he hates Kid Rock.
It sounds silly, and that’s the point. The déjà vu effect is meant to hold up a mirror to Trumpworld, showing Republicans exactly how absurd their tactics look from the outside. And let’s be honest — it’s working.
The numbers back it up. CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten — Robby’s favorite pollster — says the X account for Newsom’s press office has seen a 450 percent increase in followers since June. Google searches for Newsom? Up 1,300 percent since June 1, and 500 percent since August 1. Those are the kinds of surges you don’t see without traction.
And there’s a deeper story behind this strategy. In a recent interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, Newsom explained the moment he decided to put his foot down against Trump: “I think it connects here in L.A. and the fires, and how he was completely misrepresenting the facts—misinformation, disinformation. Elon Musk was piling on as well.”
Reporter: “You were really angry then. We spoke to you.”
Newsom: “Yea, because I’ve never seen anything like it, in the middle of an emergency, all the lies, all the misrepresentations, all the untruths — and they became gospel and they were spread around the world. And it was a big wake-up call, and we got back on our feet, and we go back on the offense.”
He wasn’t done there…
“And then when the National Guard was federalized, what the hell is going on? You saw ICE out here today. You know what that is? That is a preview for things to come. Mark my word. I said this a couple months ago with the National Guard — I said that was a preview for the rest of the country. That’s exactly what happened in Washington, D.C. That’s gonna continue to happen across this country unless we’re successful.”
And then he said: “So yes, I’ve changed. The facts have changed. We need to change. And we need to stand up to this authoritarian.”
Now, people can argue that Newsom is lowering himself by mocking the president. But one thing you can’t deny is that it’s been effective. And that’s not just Democrats talking — even Steve Bannon is giving him credit.
“If you look at the Democratic Party, he’s at least getting up there, and he’s trying to imitate a Trumpian vision of fighting, right? He looks like the only person in the Democratic Party who is organizing a fight that they feel they can win.”
Bannon went on to say, “People in the MAGA movement and the America First movement should start paying attention to this, because it’s not going to go away, they’re only going to get more intense.”
So here’s the thesis: Gavin Newsom isn’t just trolling Donald Trump. He’s stress-testing a strategy — and the numbers, the buzz, and even Trump’s allies all suggest it’s working. For years, Democrats have struggled to figure out how to fight Trump on his own turf. Newsom might have just cracked the code.
Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.