• Gavin Newsom’s social media mockery of Trump boosts his polling.
• California Governor employs all-caps trolling strategy against President Trump.
• Newsom suggests his approach holds up a mirror to GOP politics.
• Trump responds, calling Newsom "way down in the polls."
• Newsom leads Kamala Harris in California's Democratic primary polls.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has stirred significant attention and controversy through his provocative social media interactions with President Donald Trump. His strategy includes parodying Trump’s distinctive style, characterized by all-caps posts and comedic memes, aimed at highlighting the absurdities of the current political climate. Newsom's approach has earned him praise from Democratic supporters and has reportedly resulted in his social media account gaining over 250,000 followers since August 1, reaching >225 million impressions, according to HuffPost.

Recent surveys indicate a noticeable uplift in Newsom’s favorability among California Democrats as a result of his trolling offensive. Notably, a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll revealed that Newsom is ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris by 25% to 19% among registered Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents. This polling boost aligns with his burgeoning reputation as a strong candidate for the 2028 presidential primary amidst his confrontational tactics against Trump, as detailed by Newsweek.

Newsom has used his platform to mock Trump's political maneuvers, including redistricting strategies, promoting a narrative that parallels Trump's own aggressive social media style. He provocatively stated, “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,” thus framing his actions as a necessary response to a perceived normalization of Trump’s divisive rhetoric, according to SFGate.

In light of the trolling onslaught, Trump eventually struck back on his platform, Truth Social, labeling Newsom as “Gavin Newscum” and asserting he is “way down in the polls,” alleging that he is responsible for the decline of California. Trump claims, “I will save California!!!” indicating his ongoing competitive stance, as reported by Newsweek.