If you believe this Clickhole article—and you shouldn’t—California’s governor is apparently trying to break into comedy.
The truth is a little less entertaining: Gavin Newsom wants to be president of the United States. His office has stepped up its social media attacks on Donald Trump, his policies, and, predictably, his unhinged tweets. I’ve watched Newsom’s rise firsthand—from his time as mayor of San Francisco to governor of my state, all the way to that deeply awkward photo with a future Mar-a-Lago resident. Now, at last, the world gets to see the Gavin Newsom I’ve come to grudgingly accept: a man who tends to do the right thing in the most irritating way possible.
Newsom is the type of politician who seizes the moment—most notably, legalizing same-sex marriage in San Francisco back in 2004—as long as there’s a camera and a working microphone nearby. And we’re in one of those “moments” right now, as Texas gerrymanders to rig the midterms in favor of Republicans. Newsom is making the most of it, proposing to gerrymander California in retaliation and handing over one of his office’s social media accounts to launch a comedic offensive against the White House. In doing so, he’s doing what I hate most: weaponizing nostalgia.
Nostalgia is a powerful force, like a strong body odor or a pungent French cheese. Don’t we all love pretending we still have a full head of hair, can stand through more than 30 minutes of an Oasis concert, and that Twitter still matters to normal people? Remember 2017? It was quite a year. The Women’s March, the release of the original Nintendo Switch, and Montenegro finally joining NATO. It was definitely one of the years. Back then, you couldn’t go a minute without a Krassenstein brother insisting that indictments were coming any second, that Trump was a lame duck, and that the infamous “pee tape” was just an Amazon Prime delivery away. Robert Mueller was practically Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show to neurotic liberals white-knuckling their way through Trump’s first term. Sometimes I’ll put on the “Despacito” music video and just soak in the 2017 vibe. You probably forgot that song even existed, but I promise, it was huge once.
Back then, we thought we could mock Trump into obscurity. I certainly tried—and failed. But the idea that we could tease him into backing down was a fun fantasy. Our first round with Trump was something of a satire boom—The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, outlets like Crooked Media. Surely, we thought, making fun of his tan would make him go away like a schoolyard bully with a weird birthmark. Despite the best efforts of Ivy League-educated wits, Trump won with cruder insults, blander observations, and performative intimidation that fired up his base. Now, nearly a decade into the Trump era, no one on the left has figured out how to deal lasting damage to the MAGA mystique without relying on the Jeffrey Epstein files. So when I see the relentless stream from Newsom’s @GovPressOffice account, I can’t help but drift back to those hopeful days when “the resistance” felt like it actually meant something.
@GovPressOffice is a glorious throwback to 2017. And 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Kamala Harris tried the same tactic, trolling Trump on social media as often as possible. To the most devoted political junkies, platforms like X are the ultimate battleground, where a bit of sarcasm or a meme of JD Vance as a baby might just win hearts and minds. At most, that meme might go viral…It might get you deported, but I’m still not convinced it can sway an election. Still, they persisted. It seems like any Democrat with even a hint of national recognition immediately slips into full 2017 “resistance” mode, hoping to provoke the right into some mythical unforced error in political gamesmanship. Let me share an actual tweet from @GovPressOffice. Judge for yourself whether you think this would persuade anyone to shift left:
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
To explain the joke here: the tweet is Newsom’s account imitating Trump’s habit of posting witless threats and self-praise in all caps. Meanwhile, the real Trump, on his own platform, posts strictly within his own version of reality—one where deploying the military in Washington D.C. magically stopped crime, Democrats are mustache-twirling villains scheming to rig elections, and the Governor of California is “Gavin Newscum.” Not even a clever nickname. He passed up options like “Goofy Gavin,” “Blabbin Gavin,” or “Gavin Nonuts,” but nobody in the MAGA base cares if he’s actually funny or witty. They like Trump because he’s authentically Trump—a fully realized cartoon character, immune to South Park episodes, name-calling, and ordinary teasing. Half of the Harris 2024 social media strategy revolved around JD Vance making love to a sofa, but that didn’t translate into actual votes. I guess I can manage a mild chuckle between breaths of misery in the depression factory that is America in 2025.
This isn’t to say Newsom is a worthless twit who succeeded only because of (and sometimes despite) his great hair. He’s not worthless. The redistricting plan he enacted in California is the only reasonable response to the escalation from the right. But what does parody actually achieve? What does mimicry do for Democrats? It’s just another example of the left reinforcing the idea that Trump sets the terms of engagement. There’s a middle ground between “when they go low, we go high” capitulation and “lol, I called myself the ‘Cartographer in Chief.’” To regain authority and respectability, Democrats need to stop trying to be Trump and start trying to be something else—something coherent, something relatable. Needling Trump is great for engagement, clicks, and attention. Believe me, I know. But I’m not the governor of California; I’m basically a less successful, long-lost Krassenstein brother hoping to cash in on #resistance. Until the left figures out how to be something more than a pale imitation of their opponent, we’ll keep wishing it was still 2017.
Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Californias governor and his public commentary framed in a natural conversational tone
General Beginner Questions
Q Who is the governor of California and why is he in the news for mocking Trump
A The governor is Gavin Newsom Hes frequently in the news for his sharp often sarcastic public criticisms and social media posts directed at former President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders
Q Why does the governor act like this Isnt it unprofessional
A Supporters see it as a modern form of political engagement and effective messaging Critics view it as undignified for his office Its a strategic choice to energize his base and draw clear contrasts with political opponents
Q What does making it feel like 2017 all over again mean
A 2017 was the first year of Donald Trumps presidency a period marked by intense political division and constant public feuds on social media The phrase suggests that the current political atmosphere fueled by this kind of backandforth feels just as heated and contentious
Q Can you give me a recent example of something he said
A He frequently posts videos or tweets that directly respond to Trumps statements often using humor or sarcasm For example after a Trump speech Newsom might post a factcheck video with a mocking tone or a clever oneliner
Advanced Strategic Questions
Q Is this just for fun or is there a larger political strategy behind it
A Its almost certainly a calculated strategy By positioning himself as a vocal leader of the antiTrump resistance Newsom raises his national profile fundraises for his agenda and other Democrats and potentially positions himself for a future presidential run
Q What are the benefits of this approach for Newsom and California
A
National Relevance It keeps him in the national conversation
Base Mobilization It energizes his Democratic supporters
Fundraising Controversy and clear opposition drive smalldollar donations
Contrast It highlights policy differences between Californias governance and Trumps platform
Q What are the potential downsides or risks
A
