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San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Gavin Newsom's hot troll summer
SACRAMENTO — A parody of early 2000s rock band Nickelback's 'Photograph' music video, altered to feature President Donald Trump with his arm around child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A TikTok in which a narrator reads a quote from Trump in the voice of a 'Star Wars' villain. Calling White House aide Stephen Miller a 'fascist cuck' and telling him to 'cry harder.' These are not the social media antics of a teenage boy. They are real posts from the accounts of Gavin Newsom, the governor of the country's most populous state. They mimic a style of juvenile mockery that Trump and his allies have embraced. On the campaign trail in 2016, Democrats excoriated Trump for his crass language. He coined childish nicknames for his opponents (like 'Little Marco' for his now Secretary of State Marco Rubio) and dismissed his of lewd descriptions of groping women as 'locker-room banter.' Trump has consistently referred to Newsom as 'Newscum,' even in moments of grave tragedy. More recently, federal agencies have embraced the style in the form of memes posted on their official social media channels, including one from Department of Homeland Security targeting a popular poster on the social media website X with a ' Spy Kids' meme and a White House post depicting a crying woman arrested by immigration officials in the style of a Hayao Miyazaki animation. Newsom has argued for years that Democrats must challenge Trump more directly. This summer, he's adopted the right's social media tactics and attempted to turn them against his political foes. He and his staff have posted a barrage of memes, sued Fox News and gone on a podcasting tear, all in the style of the right-wing provocateurs Democrats have long criticized. In the courts, over the airwaves and on the internet, Newsom has gone full troll. 'Sometimes the best way to challenge a bully is to punch them in the metaphorical face,' Newsom spokesperson Bob Salladay wrote in a statement. 'These tactics may seem extreme to some and they are, but there's a significant difference here: We're targeting powerful forces that are ripping apart this country, using their own words and tactics. Trump and Stephen Miller are attacking the powerless like every fascist bully before them.' It started in June. Trump's efforts to defund California over the state's liberal politics and his move to send troops into Los Angeles to quell protests angered Newsom and convinced the governor he needed to change his tactics. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, Newsom had tried playing nice with the president because he needed to secure federal disaster assistance, but no more. Some of his early summer trolling was a bit high-brow, referencing college-level classes and 19th century French literature. He said Trump needed an Econ 101 lesson and posted a video explaining that Californians pay more in federal taxes than the state gets back in federal grants. He posted about Trump attending a performance of 'Les Misérables,' the musical based on the 1863 novel by Victor Hugo detailing a rebellion against the French monarchy. 'Someone explain the plot to him,' Newsom wrote. Some more recent posts have been simpler. 'Nickelback said it best,' Newsom wrote on the post with the 'Photograph' parody. In a post quoting right-wing commenter Charlie Kirk calling for an investigation into Epstein's sex trafficking, Newsom wrote simply: 'Retweet.' Newsom drew widespread outrage when he launched his 'This is Gavin Newsom' podcast this year with an interview with Kirk, during which the governor agreed with some of Kirk's anti-transgender views. Newsom described his admiration for Kirk, especially his ability to win over the hearts and minds of young men and teenage boys, including his own son. 'I've just, I've got to admire what you've been able to do, not to weaponize, but to organize on these college campuses,' Newsom told Kirk. 'I love watching your TikTok, which is next level.' Kirk's TikTok account, where he has 7.3 million followers, in the past few days has promoted a recent interview where he blames young men's economic frustrations on American jobs becoming too feminine. Like many right-wing podcasters, Kirk is fixated on problems facing young men, a focus Newsom has also adopted for his own show. Of the 31 episodes of Newsom's podcast, just three have featured interviews with women. Katie Merrill, a Bay Area-based Democratic strategist, said she thinks the governor's approach to winning over young men is misguided. 'There is no Democratic official right now who young male voters see as a role model,' she said. The trolling posts could also carry some political risk for Newsom, she said. 'Democratic voters are looking for more leadership than trolling and playing by the rules of the MAGA clan,' she said. 'While I appreciate that the governor is taking Trump and Fox News and the whole MAGA gang to task, the truth is the Democratic Party still, since the election, has not given voters a reason to vote for us.' Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, said she thinks focusing on social media platforms like TikTok and X, where data shows many young people are getting their news, is savvy. 'I think it shows that Newsom understands our current media environment,' she said. 'It's where the eyeballs are, so smart politics, smart political communication says go where the eyeballs are.' The lighter tone of the posts could also be politically advantageous to Newsom, Michelson said. Establishing a positive reputation in voters' minds could help him in future political contests, she said. Newsom's aides say the posts have been popular. His press office's X account has added 35,000 followers since the start of the summer, and in June saw its engagement double, according to data from the office. Sometimes Newsom's trolling has transitioned into policy. He's floated the idea of gerrymandering California's congressional districts to favor Democrats if Texas does the same in favor of Republicans. He's also formalized his trolling in legal filings. Last month, he filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for $787 million in damages — the amount Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 to settle a defamation case over the network's inaccurate coverage of the 2020 election. Trolling on main has caused some tonal dissonance in his social feeds. Last week, he posted on his personal X account a video of the now-infamous Coldplay kisscam, which inadvertently ensnared a cheating couple, with Trump and Epstein's faces superimposed. Less than an hour later, he sent a somber post from the same account about three Los Angeles sheriff's deputies who died at a training facility. 'Governor Newsom is really, by the way, if you've read his Twitter account as of late, you could tell he's taken a page right out of the Trump playbook on engaging people,' Assembly Member Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, said during a debate on a resolution condemning Trump in the state Legislature earlier this month. He pointed out that his Democratic colleagues 'despise how our President talks on social media and our governor's taking a page right out of that. And actually that office is engaged in some disgusting social media.' Newsom has defended his posts, arguing he's simply responding in kind to Republicans. At a press conference last week, a reporter asked him directly about the tweet from his press office calling Miller, the White House aide, a cuck — a derogatory term embraced by conservatives for a man who has been cheated on. Newsom said Trump White House staff used the term first. 'I don't think they understand any other kind of language,' Newsom said. 'I have no apologies for standing tall and firm and pushing back against their cruelty.'
3 days ago
- Business
Trump admin updates: Trump wants Senate to cancel August recess to work on nominees
Trump also suggested the Senate cancel long weekends. 1:27 President Donald Trump continues to face backlash from his MAGA supporters over his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi "to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval" related to the case. On Friday, Trump signed the GENIUS Act -- the first major federal cryptocurrency bill -- into law. Latest headlines: Jul 20, 2025, 5:24 PM EDT Trump threatens NFL's Commanders over name change Jul 20, 2025, 4:12 PM EDT Trump rejects WSJ story on Bessent warning against firing Powell Jul 20, 2025, 1:45 PM EDT Lutnick confident US will make tariff deal with EU Here's how the news is developing. 16 Updates Jul 17, 2025, 9:01 AM EDT Attorney General Pam Bondi visiting Alcatraz: Officials Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are in California Thursday making a visit to the notorious former federal prison Alcatraz, officials confirmed to ABC News. It's unclear whether they will open up their visit to any media, but Bondi is being accompanied by a Fox News correspondent on the visit. The visit comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's directive to reopen Alcatraz as a prison 60 years after it was shuttered, a move Democrats have attacked as a massive waste of money and resources at a time where the federal Bureau of Prisons is already under major strain to maintain existing facilities. Jul 17, 2025, 4:58 AM EDT Senate narrowly approves $9 billion budget clawback for foreign aid and public broadcasting The Senate narrowly approved a White House request to claw back $9 billion from the federal budget, including funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting. The final vote on Thursday morning was 51-48. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted with Democrats against the rescissions bill. Sen. Tina Smith did not vote after being admitted to the hospital. The bill would rescind funding allocated for the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, related agencies and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The bill now returns to the House with a deadline for final passage by Friday. -ABC News' Justin Gomez Trump says he's ending funding for California high-speed train In a post on his social media platform, Trump announced he is ending federal funding for California's High-Speed Rail project. 'The railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will,' Trump wrote. "Thanks to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again," Trump continued. In a statement, Duffy said the Federal Railroad Administration terminated approximately $4 billion in unspent funding for 'California's High Speed Rail Boondoggle,' saying the $135 billion projected cost of the project could buy every San Francisco and Los Angeles resident nearly 200 round trip flights between the cities. 'This is California's fault. Governor Newsom and the complicit Democrats have enabled this waste for years. Federal dollars are not a blank check -- they come with a promise to deliver results,' Duffy said. 'It's time for this boondoggle to die. President Trump and I will always fight to ensure your tax dollars only go to projects that accomplish great, big, beautiful things.' -ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Sam Sweeney Jul 16, 2025, 4:42 PM EDT Mike Flynn pushes back against Trump on Epstein 'hoax' claims One of President Donald Trump's staunchest supporters pushed back against the president over his claims that the Epstein controversy was a "hoax." Michael Flynn wrote a lengthy post on X imploring the president to be more transparent and reveal more details. "All we want at this stage is for a modicum of trust to be reestablished between our federal government and the people it is designed to serve," Flynn wrote. "With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this. The roll out of this was terrible, no way around that. Americans want America to be successful, therefore, WE NEED YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL," he added. -ABC News' Will Steakin
The Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
California to sue Trump over cancelled high-speed rail funds
LOS ANGELES: California will take legal action against the Trump administration after it cancelled billions in federal funding for the state's high-speed rail project, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed. The governor accused the move of being politically motivated, stating it threatens jobs and progress on the only active high-speed rail construction in the US. 'Trump's termination of federal grants for California high-speed rail reeks of politics. It's yet another political stunt to punish California,' Newsom said. He added that the lawsuit aims to prevent further disruption to the project, which is expected to create 15,000 jobs. The rail line, intended to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours, has faced repeated delays and budget overruns since its launch in 2008. Trump's latest decision follows a Federal Railroad Administration report indicating the initial phase would miss its 2033 deadline. 'Not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again,' Trump posted on social media, using a derogatory nickname for Newsom. This marks the second time federal funding has been withdrawn, after Biden reinstated it in 2021. Legal experts suggest that even if California wins the lawsuit, the funding loss will cause further delays. The US lags behind Europe and Asia in high-speed rail development, with the first fully operational line—connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas—expected by 2028. - AFP
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
California To Sue Trump Govt Over Axed High-speed Rail Funds
California will sue President Donald Trump's administration over its decision to cancel billions of dollars in federal funding for the construction of a long-delayed high-speed rail line, the state's governor said Thursday. "Trump's termination of federal grants for California high-speed rail reeks of politics. It's yet another political stunt to punish California," Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "We're suing to stop Trump from derailing America's only high-speed rail actively under construction," Newsom said, adding that cancelling the funds would put "real jobs and livelihoods on the line." A Democratic stronghold, California has been the target of Trump's ire since his return to office, and is already waging multiple legal challenges against the federal government. The dream of a train linking Los Angeles with San Francisco some 380 miles (610 kilometers) away in just two hours and 40 minutes has been over 15 years in the making. But the project launched in 2008 to connect the two main cities of the country's most populous state has seen numerous hold ups and overshot budgets. According to the governor, it is expected to create 15,000 jobs. On Wednesday, Trump announced he was cutting federal funding earmarked for the project. "Not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again," he posted on social media, using a pejorative name for the Democrat governor, a bitter political rival of the president. During his first term, the Republican leader had already canceled funding for the rail line, but the move was suspended after California challenged it in court. When Democrat Joe Biden assumed the presidency in 2021, he restored the funds. Trump's administration threatened to cancel $4 billion earmarked for the project in June after a report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concluded that the initial section of the line would not be completed by a 2033 deadline. Even if California's challenge succeeds again, the axed funding is a serious blow to the project, with new delays almost inevitable. Unlike in Europe or Asia, passenger rail travel is one of the least developed forms of transportation in the United States, with high-speed rail virtually non-existent. The country's first fully high-speed rail line, planned to run about 220 miles between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, is expected to be completed by 2028, in time for the Olympic Games.
New York Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
This week in whoppers: Newsom's profanity-filled Trump complaint, Hunter's election delusion and more
Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions This complaint: 'That's what I don't like about this son of a bitch [Trump] . . . Model better goddamn behavior.' — Gavin Newsom, Monday Advertisement We say: You first, Gav! Newsom is peeved that Trump nicknamed him 'Newscum' and wants him to cut out the playground insults. Of course, that holier-than-thou scolding would sound a lot more sincere if the gov resisted flinging profanities while delivering it. He's also called Trump 'scum,' 'disturbed,' 'a broken person' and 'damaged goods.' Advertisement And over the weekend, he attacked JD Vance for going to Disneyland with his wife and kids. Is that modeling 'better' behavior, Gavin? This claim: 'We lost . . . because we did not remain loyal to the leader of the party.' — Hunter Biden, in an interview posted Wednesday. Advertisement We say: Please. Hunter's sore his dad was forced to drop his reelection bid and is no longer in the White House; lacking a powerful protector, he's drowning in legal debt and his art isn't selling. Yet the idea that Joe would've won if Democrats stuck by him is unhinged. Joe was already tanking when he quit, thanks to inflation, the border disaster and the cognitive decline he displayed at his debate with Donald Trump. Top Dems only turned on him when they saw the writing on the wall. Advertisement This assertion: '[Barack Obama and Mark Cuban] are pointing the finger at the wrong person.' — The View's Whoopi Goldberg, Tuesday We say: Obama told Democrats to quit 'navel-gazing' and 'whining' and 'toughen up,' while Cuban slammed the party as pathologically unable to develop messaging beyond 'Trump sucks.' Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Whoopi objects because whining and railing about Trump are favorite pastimes on The View. Sorry, Whoopi, but voters are tired of Democrats' empty, feckless, anti-Trump bellyaching. Ignore Obama's and Cuban's warnings at your own peril. This column: Advertisement 'Here's How to Fix Our Immigration System.' — Blas Nuñez-Neto, Tuesday We say: Asking one of Biden's border advisers how to fix immigration is a bit like asking a three-time divorcée for relationship tips: It's only good for figuring out what not to do. Advertisement Nuñez-Neto, the former Homeland Security assistant secretary for border and immigration policy, now admits 'the failure to acknowledge' the border crisis 'and take timely action to try to resolve it' made Americans distrust Democrats and contributed to President Trump's win. Gee, thanks, Sherlock! — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
