I find it delicious that the MAGA folks are getting their panties all in a twist over this. The irony is off the charts. The real thing Gavin and his team need to be careful of is not overplaying it. Every meme has it's day, and then it's time to move on the next thing.
As far as the Democratic establishment and the pundits who have an issue with this. Bite me! What have YOU done lately other than whine?
I take your point, but I honestly don’t see how Newsom could “overplay” this. Trump has been trolling nonstop for nearly ten years, never once worrying about overdoing it, and it’s worked for him. He floods the zone until his behavior feels normal. Meanwhile, Democrats are forever warned to be careful, not to go “too far.” Why is it only Dems who get told to worry about overplaying, when the Right thrives on relentless repetition?
Newsom’s posts aren’t just trolling for trolling’s sake, they’re satirizing Trump, and that lands because it exposes the absurdity. If MAGA, Fox and Trump's White House minions can’t find a saturation point for Trump’s antics, why should Democrats tiptoe around the idea of “too much”?
Exactly! From the Substack - "The whole point of the posts is to show how absurd Trump’s social media really is." Newsom's team even pointed this out when the FAUX News types (and others) called it "childish." Where is all the outrage for Trump's years and years of screeds? Oh, that's right, crickets...
My point is not about going "too far" (I'm loving every minute of this) but using this idea for too long. Newsom's team needs to avoid the beating-a-dead-horse syndrome and find a new and equally creative trolling device when this one starts to wear thin. It's about attention and keeping a foot on the gas.
Trump, for whatever reason, gets away with his bullshit because people take whatever nonsense he's spewing on a particular day and say, "Trump's being Trump." Everyone else seems to be held to a different standard. I will be fascinated to see what happens to MAGA politics when Trump is finally out of the picture. I see no one in the current GOP that comes even close to having the weird, cult-leader charisma Trump has.
I absolutely agree on all counts! Remember when we thought Trump was too ridiculous to ever get elected? And now, he’s on term two, destroying the nation. The difference here is that Newsom is smart and capable and understands the irony of what he is doing. Trump has never been savvy enough to realize he’s a caricature of himself; that he should be embarrassed by everything he says and does.
I appreciate the humor. It is a breath of fresh air in a party that has been too stuffy for too long. And history tells us that humor and mockery are effective in neutralizing or bringing down an autocrat. When I - and the team I’ve assembled - go to protests, I make signs that are rife with humor and mockery. Whether or not this ultimately works, it buoys our spirits. That matters.
I fully support trolling the trolls. Isn't one of the things we always say "imagine if a Democrat did this". Well here you go, living proof of an truly insane double standard. Let everyone cook in it, especially the pearl clutchers. We voted for decency and we lost. I'm willing to try something new- it could literally save lives.
If nothing changes, nothing changes --- Gavin Newsom and his social media team have changed the discourse by doing something different. It's been morale-boosting for Democrats. I have also been listening to interviews and news reports with Newsom. During these, he is clear and articulate about what matters in this country, at this time. So far, Governor Newsom has managed to fight off Trump and the Republicans without the help of all the Democratic pundits and naysayers. Instead of acting like we know better than the person who has had success, can we just get behind him and join the fight?
Spot on Dan. Kudos to Newsom's communications team and to Newsom himself for understanding all the points you just made. He is otherwise deadly serious and eyes wide open about what is happening in our country, that's obvious when you hear him speak.
For the last 9 months Morning Joe and the rest of liberal opinion media have been reporting how polls showing Dems are disgusted with their party because it doesn't fight. Now someone is fighting , and they, predictably, are acting like the cool girls table when the smart girls start making the mean girls feel bad.
This morning the MJ kids, led by Claire McCaskill, are suddenly getting it. Newsom is getting attention, making normIes laugh, and making Trump and his orcs freak out
. "HOW DARE HE MOCK OUR MASTER?! THiS IS AN OUTRAGE! "
Which gets Newsom more attention.
And getting attention, Newsom still talking about issues.
100% agree! The other argument for the Gavin strategy is that he is giving incredible energy and hope to a Dem base that was on the verge of self-harm most days. I live to see what Gavin says today and what all others out there loving him say or do. It's like having a coach telling his team at half time that even though they are down 21 points, they can still pull it off. And he's a handsome coach, besides.
I don’t find it embarrassing in the least. I love it! Delicious wit with a big f’ng stick. At least Gavin is doing something instead of simply wringing his hands ands agonizing over what democrats should do in future. And when he does any interview, he clearly knows the facts and lays them out with precision. Sorry, but we are not in normal times….”when they go low, we go high” isn’t gonna cut it anymore (at least not until we save our threatened democracy).
Not surprising that MAGA is up in arms about Newsom’s posts because they’re the biggest snowflakes on the planet. Which is ironic given their obsession with looking and being “strong”. But for Democrats to clutch their pearls over one of their own appearing to imitate Trump, while in fact satirizing him, shows they have learned nothing about how politics works in this new era. Serious questions for the likes of Joe Scarborough-how is acting like the very serious adults in the room working to counter Trump? I know, it’s a rhetorical question
I was just joking, actually. I am very well aware of Newsom's point. Since the R's don't seem to 'get' any of it, I figured someone could tell them that and see what they do with it.
The fact that Newsom’s posts are a topic in the Message Box proves they’re doing the job! I find them refreshing and hopeful- at last a fearless leader. It is BEYOND obvious that Newsom and others can do 2 things at once: troll and be substantive. I turned off MSNBC years ago.
I read this Brian Beutler piece yesterday and it’s everything these Dem dummies need to read. We want a fight! They have been just inert and it’s pitiful, Gavin is doing something and getting attention and he’s making them squirm. I love it and I want more!
This is good -- thanks for the link. It does annoy me, though, when these establishment Dems ignore the racism and sexism so common in the Republican "base." It makes no sense to talk about "economic issues" as if all working people were white and mostly male.
Totally agree. We need more mockery and less hand wringing. The Dems, unlike the GOP have multitudes of socially positive policies to help all Americans. The GOP have none. Just hate and exclusion. Mockery of DJT and his ridiculous tweets is a welcome addition.
The thing I like about Newsom’s approach is that it’s so perfectly done. We have all seen pale attempts to mock a Trump tweet over the years. Hardly worth a chuckle. Maybe the use of “Sad!” or a brief use of Capslock.
But these posts of Newsom’s are extremely well written by a talented writer(s) who has completely captured the tone and nutty personality of DJT.
I just hope we don’t start to see cringey imitations from other potential ‘28 candidates.
Spot on, Dan! Governor Newsom’s “trolling” is exactly the right play. Politics in 2025 is about attention, and Trump has owned that space for years because Democrats keep insisting on fighting with the old playbook. Dry press releases don’t break through the noise, spectacle does.
Newsom is flipping the script: not imitating Trump, but satirizing him. The fact that MAGA world is melting down about his posts shows just how effective it is. They love dishing it out, but can’t bear being mocked.
This isn’t about replacing substance with memes, it’s about using humor and trolling to get people to look, and then pivoting to the serious issues that matter. Democrats who clutch their pearls and call it “beneath us” are missing the point. If we don’t adapt to the modern media ecosystem, we’re ceding the stage to Trump and his disinformation machine.
It works for a variety of reasons. #1 it is not his whole identity. He is out there doing the work, communicates in multiple ways- most of them serious, and relevant to timely and important issues. # 2 he is calling out the ridiculousness of Trumps messaging. The rest of the dems are ignoring it. A way to stop the bully is to hold a mirror to the bully. For a hot minute we had the best and most irreverent social media with Sen Fettermans team. It made the difference in the PA race. They beat up on Oz on the daily and it worked. ( whether the end result was helpful, that’s another story for another time, unfortunately). I say keep it up , governor!
I find it delicious that the MAGA folks are getting their panties all in a twist over this. The irony is off the charts. The real thing Gavin and his team need to be careful of is not overplaying it. Every meme has it's day, and then it's time to move on the next thing.
As far as the Democratic establishment and the pundits who have an issue with this. Bite me! What have YOU done lately other than whine?
I take your point, but I honestly don’t see how Newsom could “overplay” this. Trump has been trolling nonstop for nearly ten years, never once worrying about overdoing it, and it’s worked for him. He floods the zone until his behavior feels normal. Meanwhile, Democrats are forever warned to be careful, not to go “too far.” Why is it only Dems who get told to worry about overplaying, when the Right thrives on relentless repetition?
Newsom’s posts aren’t just trolling for trolling’s sake, they’re satirizing Trump, and that lands because it exposes the absurdity. If MAGA, Fox and Trump's White House minions can’t find a saturation point for Trump’s antics, why should Democrats tiptoe around the idea of “too much”?
Exactly! From the Substack - "The whole point of the posts is to show how absurd Trump’s social media really is." Newsom's team even pointed this out when the FAUX News types (and others) called it "childish." Where is all the outrage for Trump's years and years of screeds? Oh, that's right, crickets...
My point is not about going "too far" (I'm loving every minute of this) but using this idea for too long. Newsom's team needs to avoid the beating-a-dead-horse syndrome and find a new and equally creative trolling device when this one starts to wear thin. It's about attention and keeping a foot on the gas.
Trump, for whatever reason, gets away with his bullshit because people take whatever nonsense he's spewing on a particular day and say, "Trump's being Trump." Everyone else seems to be held to a different standard. I will be fascinated to see what happens to MAGA politics when Trump is finally out of the picture. I see no one in the current GOP that comes even close to having the weird, cult-leader charisma Trump has.
exactly!! satirizing a cartoon figure who is now the Prez of the US!!!!
The Newsom bunch seem pretty nimble, and keep it moving. A great shot of adrenaline right now!
BTW, what about DTs indictments? Will he ever be tried in Georgia? We actually have a criminal pretending to be in charge, after all.
I absolutely agree on all counts! Remember when we thought Trump was too ridiculous to ever get elected? And now, he’s on term two, destroying the nation. The difference here is that Newsom is smart and capable and understands the irony of what he is doing. Trump has never been savvy enough to realize he’s a caricature of himself; that he should be embarrassed by everything he says and does.
I appreciate the humor. It is a breath of fresh air in a party that has been too stuffy for too long. And history tells us that humor and mockery are effective in neutralizing or bringing down an autocrat. When I - and the team I’ve assembled - go to protests, I make signs that are rife with humor and mockery. Whether or not this ultimately works, it buoys our spirits. That matters.
I fully support trolling the trolls. Isn't one of the things we always say "imagine if a Democrat did this". Well here you go, living proof of an truly insane double standard. Let everyone cook in it, especially the pearl clutchers. We voted for decency and we lost. I'm willing to try something new- it could literally save lives.
Well said.
If nothing changes, nothing changes --- Gavin Newsom and his social media team have changed the discourse by doing something different. It's been morale-boosting for Democrats. I have also been listening to interviews and news reports with Newsom. During these, he is clear and articulate about what matters in this country, at this time. So far, Governor Newsom has managed to fight off Trump and the Republicans without the help of all the Democratic pundits and naysayers. Instead of acting like we know better than the person who has had success, can we just get behind him and join the fight?
Spot on Dan. Kudos to Newsom's communications team and to Newsom himself for understanding all the points you just made. He is otherwise deadly serious and eyes wide open about what is happening in our country, that's obvious when you hear him speak.
For the last 9 months Morning Joe and the rest of liberal opinion media have been reporting how polls showing Dems are disgusted with their party because it doesn't fight. Now someone is fighting , and they, predictably, are acting like the cool girls table when the smart girls start making the mean girls feel bad.
This morning the MJ kids, led by Claire McCaskill, are suddenly getting it. Newsom is getting attention, making normIes laugh, and making Trump and his orcs freak out
. "HOW DARE HE MOCK OUR MASTER?! THiS IS AN OUTRAGE! "
Which gets Newsom more attention.
And getting attention, Newsom still talking about issues.
It made me so excited, I sent Newsom 25 bucks!
Yes! In fact, Newsom should post that he's waiting for the 'fatwa' from Trump.
He should keep going, they are hilarious and show what an unhinged maniac Trump is which the mainstream media is definitely not doing.
100% agree! The other argument for the Gavin strategy is that he is giving incredible energy and hope to a Dem base that was on the verge of self-harm most days. I live to see what Gavin says today and what all others out there loving him say or do. It's like having a coach telling his team at half time that even though they are down 21 points, they can still pull it off. And he's a handsome coach, besides.
I don’t find it embarrassing in the least. I love it! Delicious wit with a big f’ng stick. At least Gavin is doing something instead of simply wringing his hands ands agonizing over what democrats should do in future. And when he does any interview, he clearly knows the facts and lays them out with precision. Sorry, but we are not in normal times….”when they go low, we go high” isn’t gonna cut it anymore (at least not until we save our threatened democracy).
Not surprising that MAGA is up in arms about Newsom’s posts because they’re the biggest snowflakes on the planet. Which is ironic given their obsession with looking and being “strong”. But for Democrats to clutch their pearls over one of their own appearing to imitate Trump, while in fact satirizing him, shows they have learned nothing about how politics works in this new era. Serious questions for the likes of Joe Scarborough-how is acting like the very serious adults in the room working to counter Trump? I know, it’s a rhetorical question
Someone should remind MAGA folks that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Flattery huh? Thats not remotely the point of what Newsom is doing
I was just joking, actually. I am very well aware of Newsom's point. Since the R's don't seem to 'get' any of it, I figured someone could tell them that and see what they do with it.
America doesn’t understand satire, or irony. Never has, probably never will.
The fact that Newsom’s posts are a topic in the Message Box proves they’re doing the job! I find them refreshing and hopeful- at last a fearless leader. It is BEYOND obvious that Newsom and others can do 2 things at once: troll and be substantive. I turned off MSNBC years ago.
I read this Brian Beutler piece yesterday and it’s everything these Dem dummies need to read. We want a fight! They have been just inert and it’s pitiful, Gavin is doing something and getting attention and he’s making them squirm. I love it and I want more!
https://open.substack.com/pub/brianbeutler/p/at-least-he-fights?r=1fsd9&utm_medium=ios
This is good -- thanks for the link. It does annoy me, though, when these establishment Dems ignore the racism and sexism so common in the Republican "base." It makes no sense to talk about "economic issues" as if all working people were white and mostly male.
Totally agree. We need more mockery and less hand wringing. The Dems, unlike the GOP have multitudes of socially positive policies to help all Americans. The GOP have none. Just hate and exclusion. Mockery of DJT and his ridiculous tweets is a welcome addition.
The thing I like about Newsom’s approach is that it’s so perfectly done. We have all seen pale attempts to mock a Trump tweet over the years. Hardly worth a chuckle. Maybe the use of “Sad!” or a brief use of Capslock.
But these posts of Newsom’s are extremely well written by a talented writer(s) who has completely captured the tone and nutty personality of DJT.
I just hope we don’t start to see cringey imitations from other potential ‘28 candidates.
Spot on, Dan! Governor Newsom’s “trolling” is exactly the right play. Politics in 2025 is about attention, and Trump has owned that space for years because Democrats keep insisting on fighting with the old playbook. Dry press releases don’t break through the noise, spectacle does.
Newsom is flipping the script: not imitating Trump, but satirizing him. The fact that MAGA world is melting down about his posts shows just how effective it is. They love dishing it out, but can’t bear being mocked.
This isn’t about replacing substance with memes, it’s about using humor and trolling to get people to look, and then pivoting to the serious issues that matter. Democrats who clutch their pearls and call it “beneath us” are missing the point. If we don’t adapt to the modern media ecosystem, we’re ceding the stage to Trump and his disinformation machine.
I say — more of this, not less.
It works for a variety of reasons. #1 it is not his whole identity. He is out there doing the work, communicates in multiple ways- most of them serious, and relevant to timely and important issues. # 2 he is calling out the ridiculousness of Trumps messaging. The rest of the dems are ignoring it. A way to stop the bully is to hold a mirror to the bully. For a hot minute we had the best and most irreverent social media with Sen Fettermans team. It made the difference in the PA race. They beat up on Oz on the daily and it worked. ( whether the end result was helpful, that’s another story for another time, unfortunately). I say keep it up , governor!