Donald Trump is rattled, and no, it’s not an indictment, a foreign leader, or the latest implosion of one of his own policies. This time it’s Gavin Newsom. The California governor has gotten so far under Trump’s skin that Trump is now posting AI-generated videos of him on Truth Social.
It’s petty. It’s desperate. And it tells you a lot. Trump doesn’t waste time on people who truly don’t matter to him. Newsom matters, not because he’s the savior of the Democratic Party, but because he’s doing something most Democrats have been allergic to for years: actually showing up for the fight.
Filling a Role the Party Has Left Empty
Since November’s election, the Democratic Party has been adrift. There has been no clear voice, no figure who could speak with both authority and bite. Newsom has stepped into that gap, smiling while landing his punches.
The fascination with him is not confined to California. It’s been reported that at fundraisers in New York, in private donor meetings, and in conversations outside politics entirely, his name comes up again and again. One donor told The Hill, “He wasn’t in the room and we were all talking about him.” Another admitted without hesitation, “We’re obsessed with him because there’s no one else.”
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons says people do not ask about Newsom’s policies. They ask whether he can win. That question alone speaks volumes. Democrats at this moment are not looking for a seminar on policy details. They are looking for a fighter who can stand toe-to-toe with Trump and come out ahead, or more practically, looking at 2028, come out ahead of whoever Trump crowns as the MAGA successor.
Meeting Trump’s Energy and Turning It Against Him
Part of Newsom’s appeal is that he is not pretending to be above it all. He is meeting Trump’s style head-on, even borrowing from his own playbook. When he posted “HAPPY LABOR DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT IS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY,” it could have been mistaken for one of Trump’s own lines.
He has been active in the fights over redistricting, outspoken against Trump’s immigration raids, and relentless in needling him online. Every time Trump lashes out, Newsom keeps smiling and pressing forward.
The approach is working. In California, his approval rating jumped from 38 percent in June to 56 percent in July. Nationally, he has risen to the top of 2028 Democratic polling, ahead of Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg, gaining thirteen points in only a few months.
The Thing Trump Fears Most
This is what makes Trump so furious. Newsom is not only attacking him, he is making him look small. Authoritarian figures depend on projecting dominance. Once that image starts to crack, their aura fades. Newsom’s ability to provoke Trump into overreaction does exactly that.
Trump has many critics. Most of them do not get more than a passing insult before he moves on. Newsom has managed to pull him into multiple rants, video posts, and days of attention. That is a sign he is touching a nerve.
It is also political judo. By engaging with Newsom, Trump only amplifies him. Every rage-filled post becomes free national publicity.
A Mirror on the Democratic Messaging Problem
The obsession with Newsom is also an indictment of the party’s broader communication strategy. Democrats have good policies on health care, climate, reproductive rights, and the economy. What they often lack is the ability to sell those policies while pushing back against Republican attacks in real time.
Newsom has shown how to do both. He can talk about affordable housing or wildfire prevention, then deliver a line that cuts through the noise and forces Republicans to respond. The fact that this feels novel shows just how far the party has drifted from fighting on its own terms.
The 2028 Question
The 2028 Democratic primary hasn’t even started yet, and with a deep bench for once, Democratic primary voters will have many great options to choose from.
In fact, many are not convinced that this latest round of publicity will carry Newsom all the way to the presidency, nor even the nomination. Republican strategist Susan Del Percio calls it “a good act” that may not translate into a winning national campaign. The caution is fair. Charisma and confrontation alone do not guarantee a victory.
For now, Democrats are watching because Newsom is delivering the impression that he willing to “fight.” He is showing that it is possible to take Trump’s style, turn it back on him, and remain likeable while doing it. That is enough to move polls, attract donors, and spark national conversation.
In reality, the primary is a long ways off, a veritable lifetime in political timelines. Kamala Harris’ entire campaign was barely 100 days long, and we are still years out from the 2028 primary.
The Subtext Is Clear
The whispers are already there. The polling bumps, the donor chatter, and the headlines are building a national profile, whether or not Newsom admits to any ambition. Trump, by targeting him so publicly, is helping shape the very rival he may not want to face.
It is the one thing Trump cannot resist, and the one thing that may make Newsom’s next move even stronger. For now, he is the rare Democrat who has figured out how to fight Trump on his own ground and make him look smaller for it. That alone is enough to set him apart in a party that has been searching for someone willing to get in the ring.
What do you think of Newsom’s strategy? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
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It’s way overdue for us dems to start standing up in the real world 💕
I honestly would rather that the Democrats take the high road, but it isn’t working because Republican have stronger voices and media presence, so I say to Newsom, go for it, because it is the only way that the world will see just what a small and pitiful man Trump really is