SACRAMENTO — In a typical insult the Trump administration makes use of towards dissidents of federal coverage, White Home Deputy Chief of Employees Stephen Miller referred to as a California decide a “communist” after she blocked roving immigration arrests based mostly on race alone.
The MAGA-embraced epithet from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official press workplace in response, nevertheless, was hardly typical for a Democratic politician.
“This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Structure, and his try to switch the sovereignty of the individuals with autocracy,” the California governor’s workplace posted on social media. “Sorry the Structure harm your emotions, Stephen. Cry tougher.”
Common among the many far proper and the gutters of social media, the time period is used to insult liberals as weak and can also be quick for “cuckold,” which refers back to the husband of an untrue spouse.
The low blow sanctioned by a possible 2028 presidential candidate set a brand new paradigm for the political left that has lengthy embraced Michelle Obama’s “once they go low, we go excessive” motto to rise above the callousness of Trump and his acolytes.
It’s additionally an instance of Newsom’s extra aggressive social media technique.
This week the governor posted memes of Trump with baby molester and accused intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Shortly after the Division of Homeland Safety detained and handcuffed U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla at a information convention in June, state Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rockland) alleged on X that he can be handled the identical method if he interrupted an occasion held by the governor.
“I’d politely ask you to go away,” retorted Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon. “Although you don’t deserve politeness on this second for this grotesque tweet, you bald little man.” (Patterson later added “Bald little man” to his profile on the social media website.)
The governor and his taxpayer-supported press workplace joked that HBO had solid Miller as Lord Voldemort — the pasty, hairless tremendous villain within the “Harry Potter” tales — and mocked the scandal-plagued Texas legal professional basic after he accused Newsom of fomenting lawlessness.
The governor defended the extra combative posture at a latest information convention. He famous that Steven Cheung, the White Home communications director, had used the phrase final month when he referred to as Newsom “the most important cuck in politics.”
“I don’t suppose they perceive every other type of language, so I’ve no apologies for standing tall and agency and pushing again towards their cruelty,” Newsom stated.
Newsom’s advisors say the governor reached a turning level after the president despatched California Nationwide Guard troops into Los Angeles to guard federal brokers from clashes with protesters throughout immigration sweeps. Since Trump took workplace in January, the Democratic chief had been strolling a superb line between calling out the president and enjoying good in hopes of with the ability to work collectively after the California wildfires.
The governor stated publicly stated that the choice to militarize Los Angeles confirmed him that you possibly can’t work with the president, just for him. With federal troops on the bottom, his aides stated, Newsom additionally wished to face up for California, involved about what would occur if he didn’t.
The directive was to match the techniques emanating from the White Home and meet Trump and his allies the place they’re. Overlook the excessive street.
Over the past month, they’ve taken on extra fights with Newsom’s critics, reacted extra rapidly to shoot down misinformation concerning the governor or California, challenged narratives they discover to be unfaithful, or unfair, and brought lots of their very own pictures.
“Generally one of the simplest ways to problem a bully is to punch them within the metaphorical face,” stated Bob Salladay, Newsom’s high communications advisor. “These techniques could seem excessive to some and they’re, however there’s a major distinction right here: We’re concentrating on highly effective forces which can be ripping aside this nation, utilizing their very own phrases and techniques. Trump and Stephen Miller are attacking the powerless like each fascist bully earlier than them.”
Newsom’s aides say the technique is working.
The governor’s private social media accounts gained 2.3 million new followers, together with over 1 million every on TikTok and Instagram, and greater than 883 million views from June 6 to July 6, based on his tallies.
Podcasters and social media influencers, corresponding to Fred Wellman and Brian Tyler Cohen, boosted the curiosity with their very own posts concerning the governor. On TikTok particularly, there’s a rising ecosystem of people that make movies about his movies.
Newsom’s official state accounts additionally skilled an exponential rise in followers and engagement in June.
The eye bodes effectively for a politician contemplating a bid for president. His aides argue that the technique advantages California by shutting down misinformation and serving to individuals perceive what’s actually happening.
“The factor that he does so effectively today is that he responds quickly, and he responds quickly in a method that’s very snackable to the typical shopper of stories,” stated Karen North, a professor of digital social media on the USC Annenberg College of Communication and Journalism.
North pointed to the adage that “it takes a minute to say a sound chew, however an hour to clarify why it’s false.”
Republicans have been thought-about masters of sound bites for many years, and Democrats are sometimes criticized for attempting to clarify the small print of insurance policies when individuals simply wish to hear the underside line.
Newsom is breaking that mildew, she stated.
“He has emerged because the particular person keen and capable of tackle the president, however in some methods, they use the identical playbook of fast, partaking responses which can be simple for individuals to know with none evaluation,” North stated. “Newsom has the benefit of enjoying protection as an offense. So when the president says one thing that’s problematic to California or problematic to on a regular basis residents, Gavin Newsom is laser-focused and able to strike again with none hesitation, and in a method that’s quite simple and really partaking.”
In some methods, the governor discovered the arduous method after Trump used his platforms to label Newsom as “incompetent” and blame him for the Los Angeles wildfires in January. The president made a barrage of claims at information conferences and on the social media website Fact Social about dry reservoirs, the necessity to switch extra water from Northern to Southern California, an absence of forest administration and empty hearth hydrants that went viral, leaving Newsom on the again foot defending himself.
When Trump despatched the Nationwide Guard into Los Angeles, the governor virtually instantly went on the assault to counter the president’s claims that he deployed troops to manage lawlessness that Newsom had allowed. The governor’s workplace stated his June 10 speech, which framed Trump as unnecessarily invading an American metropolis for his personal political acquire, acquired 41 million views.
Though Newsom’s aggression has acquired reward from some Democrats, it’s additionally a “an enormous pivot from being a Bannon bro,” stated Eric Jaye, a former senior advisor to Newsom turned critic who opposed his 2018 gubernatorial bid.
Jaye is referring to the “That is Gavin Newsom” podcast, the place the governor flummoxed Democrats who thought he appeared too chummy with Trump marketing campaign architect Steve Bannon, conservative character Charlie Kirk and others near the president.
Newsom billed the present as a possibility to talk to individuals with different viewpoints and he delivered on that premise. The governor additionally acquired criticism from inside his personal celebration for not forcefully difficult the views that straight contradicted Democratic values, corresponding to opposition to abortion rights, and agreeing with Kirk that it’s unfair for transgender athletes to compete in girls’s sports activities.
Jaye credited Newsom with “a really fast turnaround,” which “saved himself.”
However now, together with his amped-up social media presence, Newsom runs the danger of offending voters who miss respectful political discourse.
Trump’s derogatory nicknames for his opponents, corresponding to calling Newsom “Newscum” or Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas,” haven’t appeared to trigger the president a lot political hurt. He embraced “lock her up” chants about Hillary Clinton in 2016 and continuously mocked Joe Biden earlier than the previous president dropped out of the 2024 presidential contest. Trump nonetheless received each races.
North stated Trump additionally has the good thing about saying issues that seem “passionate and reckless,” however individuals don’t imagine he’s going to comply with by.
As a possible presidential contender, the query is whether or not Newsom can use phrases corresponding to “cuck” and say he needs to vary legal guidelines to redistrict California to profit Democrats within the midterm elections with out worrying individuals and seeming too Trump-like to be palatable to voters who detest the president’s antics.
“It needs to be disturbing to lots of people if the brand new period of politics includes hostile private assaults,” North stated.
Instances employees author Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
