Newsom vs Trump | Planet America

Key Concepts:

• Gavin Newsom's press office trolling Donald Trump.
• Trump-like insults and memes used by Newsom's team.
• Media attention and reactions, particularly from Fox News.
• Newsom's defense of his approach as mirroring Trump's behavior.
• The effectiveness of the strategy in gaining attention and followers.

Newsom's Press Office Trolling Trump:

• California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office is actively engaging in online trolling of Donald Trump, employing tactics similar to Trump's own communication style.
• Examples include using insults like "tiny hands" and mimicking Trump's language, such as "Sad" and creating memes parodying Trump's image. One meme replaces Jesus with Hulk Hogan in angel wings looking over Trump.
• Other Democrats are also participating by creating "Trumpy Newsome" memes.

Newsom's Defense and Rationale:

• Newsom defends his actions by stating that he is "sort of following [Trump's] example."
• He argues that if people have issues with his communication, they should be even more concerned about Trump's behavior as president.
• Newsom expresses satisfaction that his actions are gaining attention.

Media and Political Reactions:

• Newsom's tactics have garnered significant attention, particularly from Fox News.
• Dana Perino, former press secretary to George W. Bush, advises Newsom to "Stop it with the Twitter thing," suggesting his behavior is foolish.
• Newsom's press office responded to Perino with a Trump-like tweet, calling her "Dana Ding-Dong Perino" and claiming Fox News is upset because he is "America's most favorite governor."

Examples of Newsom's Parodies:

• Newsom parodied Trump's tweet about Taylor Swift, replacing her with Kid Rock.
• He also created a "GCN" merchandise range, mimicking Trump's branding and claiming it's the "greatest merchandise ever made."

White House Response:

• Deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson expressed irritation, calling Newsom's team's all-caps tweets "very weird and not at all funny."
• She sarcastically suggested that someone in Newsom's office thinks they are a "worldclass comedian."

Effectiveness of the Strategy:

• The speaker believes the tweets are effective in generating attention.
• Newsom's account has seen a 450% increase in followers since mid-June.
• The speaker notes that generating attention is crucial in politics, especially for potential future presidential candidates like Newsom in 2028.

Notable Quotes:

• Newsom: "I'm sort of following his example. If you've got issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he's putting out as president."
• Dana Perino: "Stop it with the Twitter thing...You are making a fool of yourself."
• Newsom's press office (parodying Trump): "Has anyone noticed that since I said I hate Kid Rock, he's no longer hot?"
• Abigail Jackson: "The all caps tweets from Newsome's team are very weird and not at all funny."

Synthesis/Conclusion:

Gavin Newsom's press office is deliberately using Trump-like tactics to troll Donald Trump, generating significant media attention and increasing Newsom's online following. While some criticize the approach as undignified, Newsom defends it as a necessary response to Trump's behavior and a way to gain visibility in the political landscape, potentially positioning himself for future presidential aspirations. The effectiveness of this strategy is evident in the substantial growth of Newsom's social media presence.