If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And if it wins elections, hop on board, right? California Governor Gavin Newsom appears to be borrowing a few pages out of President Donald Trump’s playbook these past few weeks with provocative social posts in all capital letters, bright red caps with white lettering, memes, and more. It begs the question, is this pure mockery, or does the Governor in hot water realize President Trump’s blunt, but shockingly approachable, method works in our current political climate?
“Limited Series! Kosplay Kristi—Kollect ‘em All!” reads a legitimate photo shared from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office, jokingly advertising trading cards for members of President Trump’s cabinet. The Press page also features AI-generated photos of President Trump dressed to impress in a Chinese PLA uniform, his Deputy Chief of Staff depicted as Voldemort, and several Trump-associated leaders praying over the California Governor.
But it’s not just mocking through obviously fake photos. The office’s entire tone has changed in recent X posts. On the recent California redistricting, he shared:
WOW!!! MY MAPS (THE BEST MAPS EVER MADE) WILL SOON PASS IN THE GREATEST LEGISLATURE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD (NOT JUST AMERICA). AMERICA CAN THANK ME (GAVIN C. NEWSOM) AND TWO VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE — MAGIC MIKE & RAINMAKER ROBERT, WHO LEAD THE LEGISLATURE — TOTAL LEGENDS!!! THESE ARE “PERFECT, BEAUTIFUL” MAPS. BETTER THAN COLUMBUS, BETTER THAN GOOGLE MAPS, BETTER THAN APPLE MAPS (SORRY TIM, NO GOLD BAR FOR ME, BUT I STILL LOVE YOU!). PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SCREAMING “MAMA! MAMA!” AND I SAY, “NO, I AM YOUR DADDY!!!” THE GOLDEN ERA BEGINS IN THE GOLDEN STATE, ALL BECAUSE OF ME, THE PEOPLE’S GOVERNOR, THE CARTOGRAPHER-IN-CHIEF, WHO WILL NOW LET THE PEOPLE VOTE!!! THANK YOU, USA!!! — GCN
What a mess. He’s trying, I guess. The overly affirming touting as “America’s favorite governor,” the all capital lettering, name calling, and even signing off tweets with his initials. We’ve seen it all before. President Trump’s Truth Social over the past several years has forged a new landscape for political communication by leaving all expectations at the door. His reactionary and authentic approach was unlike anything a political scientist could explain because it worked.
There were no formulas or precedents, just purely President Donald Trump and his thoughts. It was raw, approachable, and precisely what Americans were looking for—a break from the establishment. A new status quo.
Few leaders contrasted this style more than California’s Gavin Newsom. His slick-backed hair and perfectly poised pre-recorded statements suddenly stood out as the politics of the past. The Democratic Party was already feeling the pressure of its inability to adapt, especially among Gen Z men, so with many seeing him as a leading candidate for the 2028 Presidential race, Newsom has apparently had to adjust quickly. It may have started light, sitting in a lounge chair podcasting with right-wing influencers, but he soon cannonballed into a complete rebrand.
He followed President Trump’s style to a tee. Even his most recent ploy, The Patriot Shop, which Gavin Newsom boasted, “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE GREATEST MERCHANDISE EVER MADE.
The website, Campaign for Democracy, sells white “TRUMP IS NOT HOT” tank tops, red “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” hats, and white “The Chosen One” t-shirts. But most controversially, it appears to market a Bible signed by one of America’s most pro-choice, anti-family, anti-God governors in history, Gavin Newsom. He claimed nearly immediately that these Bibles were “sold out.”
Most assume this is simple trolling—that the Governor is poking fun at the Republican icon, and maybe even egging on his base . But you can’t help but recognize that this is only possible because of Trump’s successful political appeal to humor. He may not admit it, or hide it under the guise of mockery, but he’s breaking from his former sterile image to profit off Trump’s incredible success.
But all of it is missing the mark. If Gavin Newsom really wants to win some political points, he must realize people crave legitimacy beyond image. They don’t just want authentic leaders; they want authentic policies. They want a platform that is fully reliant on truth, self-evident realities like our existence as men and women.
Many resonate with President Trump because they connect with him on a personal level. Whatever his shortcomings, people feel they know him. That sort of connection cannot be manufactured with outward marketing schemes, especially when it was a persona you adopted two seconds ago. Newsom would be wise to focus on what’s inside of him, rather than some new but fake reinvention of himself, while promoting the same policies that have failed the great state of California.
