Why Newsom’s Trump act won’t deliver long-term wins for Democrats 

Democrats are enjoying the show — for now, at least. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has turned his political platform into a stage where Donald Trump is the punchline. His all-caps parody tweets, snappy television takedowns and viral memes have given Democrats something they long craved — the visceral thrill of watching one of their own mock Trump as ruthlessly as Trump mocks others.

It is undeniably cathartic for anyone who has watched Trump act as an unchecked bully since his 2016 campaign. However, catharsis is not a plan to win back the White House or secure the future of American democracy — and Democrats must be clear-eyed about that reality.

Newsom’s rise as the party’s chief Trump antagonist reflects how exhausted Democrats are with years of one-sided combat. Trump has mastered the modern attention economy, commanding news cycles through outrage, spectacle and ridicule. Too often, Democratic leaders responded with fact sheets and somber press conferences. Newsom has changed that script.  

The governor looks comfortable in the role of fighter, mixing humor with confidence. His all-caps broadsides and extreme aggression also highlight a deeper point: when we see another politician mimic Trump’s style, the absurdity becomes undeniable. What once felt “normal” for Trump looks jarring and inappropriate when employed by Newsom. In that way, he is not only trolling Trump but exposing how far the former president has warped expectations of political conduct. 

The strategy has also energized a base that has been begging Democrats to fight fire with fire against MAGA. For years, the party faithful felt starved of a counterpuncher who could give Trump a taste of his own medicine. Newsom scratches that itch. Yet the danger is mistaking that emotional release for progress.  

Democrats have been down this road before. Think back to the frenzy around Robert Mueller memes, the symbolism of Nancy Pelosi’s State of the Union script-shredding, or even the viral debate moments from Kamala Harris exposing Trump with precision on a national stage. Each instance delivered a sugar high of satisfaction. Still, none of them altered the reality that the country remains locked in the same partisan stalemate. Newsom’s trolling may feel fresher and sharper, but the lesson is the same: Catharsis does not equal strategy. 

Mockery alone cannot win elections. Swing voters are less interested in clever dunks than in a sense of stability. They are weary of the circus. A campaign defined by trolling risks reinforcing the very chaos voters say they want to escape. Worse, it keeps Trump at the center of the political conversation. Every viral jab still orbits him. Democrats cannot hope to move the country beyond Trump if their own strategy keeps spotlighting him as the axis of national politics. 

The risks for Newsom himself are clear. It is early in the cycle, and his momentum is buoyed by a redistricting fight and by the novelty of his style. Whether he can sustain that energy through a 2028 primary is another matter. It’s not hard to imagine the purity politics voices on the left taking issue with the jokes about Grindr and Newsom’s own ego-stroking. What reads as novel today could feel tired tomorrow. Unlike Trump, whose followers see transgression as the point, the Democratic base is more likely to sour once the shtick wears thin.  

While some ask why other governors like Kathy Hochul or JB Pritzker don’t imitate Newsom, copycats would almost certainly fall flat. It feels authentic for Newsom to taunt Trump this way; from stiffer party figures, it would read as contrived. Last month, for example, Hochul’s team launched its own snarky X account for the New York governor, doubling down on expletives and Trump callouts — but the page has earned fewer than 5,000 followers. The question that will ultimately matter is not who scores the best viral jab, but which leaders can put points on the board.

There is also the reality that Newsom’s style makes him a more obvious target for MAGA. Already, right-wing media has begun dredging up his personal missteps from the early 2000s — controversies that most voters barely remember, if they ever know them at all. Those stories unfolded in a pre-viral, pre-social media era. Revived in today’s ecosystem, they risk defining him as much as his jabs at Trump do.

This is not to suggest Democrats should avoid confrontation. Newsom proves that more moderate Democrats can fight with wit and confidence, and that is valuable. The risk lies in stopping there. A punch that lands can inspire, but without a larger story to tell it fades by the next cycle. 

That larger story must be about more than Trump. Democrats win when they offer a vision that connects to voters’ lives — when critiques of Trump become gateways to explaining how Democratic leadership lowers costs, protects freedoms and safeguards democracy. Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign was fiery in its denunciations of Trump, but it succeeded because it tethered that anger to a promise of restoring stability. Catharsis worked in those cases not because it stood alone, but because it was an appetizer to a substantive meal. 

Newsom has offered Democrats a glimpse of what fearless opposition looks like, but the real test is whether he can turn spectacle into substance. The fight against Trumpism requires vision and persuasion. Viral dunks are not a substitute for either of those. If Newsom can fuse his sharp instincts with a compelling story about the future, he may offer Democrats more than catharsis — he may offer a path to victory. Until then, Democrats would be wise to enjoy the rush, but not mistake it for the plan. 

Kaivan Shroff is a political commentator and attorney. He serves as senior adviser to the Institute for Education, was a 2024 DNC presidential delegate and worked as a digital organizer on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.