Newsom targets Trump as proxy for potential 2028 GOP presidential candidates, nominee

The next presidential election will not be a match between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump. But Newsom – considered a top-tier, potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate – is walking and talking like he's running and that the GOP nominee will be a Trump acolyte.

Among Newsom's recent and most notable moves appears to be imitating Trump's signature, all-capitalized social media posts, including two with his infamous signoff: "THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" 

"DONALD TRUMP, IF YOU DO NOT STAND DOWN, WE WILL BE FORCED TO LEAD AN EFFORT TO REDRAW THE MAPS IN CA TO OFFSET THE RIGGING OF MAPS IN RED STATES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!," the governor's press office posted Aug. 12, ahead of the state's Democrat-controlled Assembly's ultimately successful effort Thursday to pass a series of Newsom-backed bills to redraw the state's congressional maps.

The effort was in response to a similar one in the GOP-controlled Texas Assembly, and backed by Trump, to try to pick up more House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. 

(Newsom later Thursday signed two of the three bills and declared a Nov. 4 special election in which voters will be given the opportunity to grant final approval to the newly drawn maps.)

Ahead of Trump's meeting last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Newsom's office posted: "DONALD IS FINISHED — HE IS NO LONGER “HOT.” FIRST THE HANDS (SO TINY) AND NOW ME — GAVIN C. NEWSOM — HAVE TAKEN AWAY HIS “STEP.” MANY ARE SAYING HE CAN’T EVEN DO THE “BIG STAIRS” ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE — USES THE LITTLE BABY STAIRS NOW. SAD! TOMORROW HE’S GOT HIS “MEETING” WITH PUTIN IN “RUSSIA.” NOBODY CARES. ALL THE TELEVISION CAMERAS ARE ON ME, AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR. 

"EVEN LOW-RATINGS LAURA INGRAM (EDITS THE TAPES!) CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL MAPS. YOU’RE WELCOME FOR LIBERATION DAY, AMERICA! DONNIE J MISSED “THE DEADLINE” (WHOOPS!) AND NOW I RUN THE SHOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN"

GOP strategist Mike Biundo, who served as campaign adviser to Trump and GOP Sens. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania, and Rand Paul, Kentucky, told Just The News, "Enter failed Governor Gavin Newsome, riding in on his Trump-Derangement-Syndrome horse, with no record to run on and no policy wins to tout. So what does he do to infuse his fledgling, low-energy national foray? He tries to give it a Trump-trolling sugar high. The problem for him is that, like most sugar highs, it won't last."

In the 24 hours preceding the writing of this article, the Newsom press office directly mentioned and attacked Trump in 12 posts with others indirectly referencing Trump or his policies. 

Newsom's strategy appears to be working, according to the latest University of California Irvine-OC Poll.

In early June, just 38% of poll respondents approved of the overall job that he was doing as governor. But when voters were asked the same question by the same pollsters, after Newsom's fight with Trump over the federalization of the National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles, his approval rose to 56%.

And in a poll conducted by Politico and The Citrin Center public opinion firm and released Wednesday, Newsom was the top presidential choice of 25% of California's Democratic voters for the 2028 Democratic primary. The poll also showed that among state Democrats, Newsom is leading all prospective candidates, including Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee, who garnered 19% of their support. 

On the inaugural episode of his new podcast, on March 6, Newsom broke from progressives by speaking out against allowing males to compete in female sports.

He made the declaration to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, telling him, “I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness – it’s deeply unfair."

Newsom has also flip-flopped on other issues, like the use of the term "Latinx," California's high-speed rail, state oil production, bail reform, and the current hot topic, redistricting. 

Biundo also said: "The Democratic Party as a whole is desperately searching for an identity. The American people only need to compare President Trump's record with Newsom’s in California to see that he is a non-starter. As a Republican Operative, I hope the Democrats nominate Newsom. I am in the mood for another landslide from whatever candidate we put up as the GOP nominee."