The Fighter Democrats Have Been Waiting For

How Gavin Newsom cracked the code on taking on Trump

President Donald Trump listens to Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2025. Photo by Mark Schiefelbein, AP Photo

In a political landscape where Democrats have spent years wringing their hands over how to respond to Donald Trump's bombastic attacks and outright fabrications, California Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged as something the party desperately needed: a fighter who refuses to play defense. What we're witnessing isn't just political theater; it's a masterclass in how to take on Trump and the right-wing media machine on their own terms. And it's working.

The conventional wisdom suggested that Newsom's apparent pivot toward the center this year was intended to position him for a potential presidential run. Critics within his own party questioned his decision to engage with right-wing provocateurs on his podcast, viewing it as capitulation to MAGA voices. They were wrong. Dead wrong. What Newsom was actually doing was something far more strategic: building media capacity and expanding his platform for exactly the kind of moment we're seeing now, when Trump would inevitably lie about disasters, attack blue state leaders, and weaponize human suffering for political gain.

The wildfires that devastated California provided Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass with a brutal education in Trump's playbook. As flames consumed homes and displaced thousands, Trump immediately seized on the tragedy to spread disinformation about California's water policies, environmental regulations, and disaster response. The lies came fast and furious, amplified by a right-wing media ecosystem that exists not to clarify truth but to weaponize falsehoods for maximum political damage.

For Newsom, watching Trump politicize human suffering while families lost everything was a clarifying moment. This wasn't politics as usual; this was warfare. And in warfare, you don't win by bringing policy papers to a propaganda fight. The traditional Democratic approach of fact-checking, issuing measured statements, and hoping legacy media would set the record straight was woefully inadequate against an opponent who thrives on chaos and a media machine built to amplify his lies regardless of their human cost.

What Newsom recognized, and what many Democrats are still struggling to accept, is that the media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. The old playbook of relying on traditional journalism and measured responses doesn't work when your opponent controls X (formerly Twitter), has a vast podcast network, and commands an army of influencers ready to spread disinformation at lightning speed. As Sun Tzu wrote, "A shift in terrain dictates a shift in tactics."

Newsom's seemingly controversial podcast appearances with figures like Charlie Kirk, Michael Savage, and Steve Bannon weren't capitulation; they were reconnaissance missions. He was studying the enemy's tactics, learning their rhythms, and most importantly, gaining access to their audiences. Newsom wasn't platforming them; they were platforming him. While Democrats complained about him "platforming" these voices, Newsom was positioning himself to counter them when it mattered most.

Now, as Trump launches his predictable attacks on California and its leadership, Newsom isn't responding with carefully crafted press releases or defensive policy explanations. He's ditched the fact-checking websites in favor of direct confrontation against sophisticated right-wing disinformation campaigns. He's meeting Trump's aggression with his own brand of sharp-edged confrontation, and the results are striking, especially against Trump.

More crucially, Newsom's social media game has become must-watch political theater. His decision to have Emperor Palpatine's voice from Star Wars read Trump's social media posts is pure genius; it simultaneously mocks Trump's authoritarian tendencies while reducing his bombastic proclamations to comedy. The effect is humiliating for Trump, who depends on being taken seriously as a strongman figure. When your threats are being read by a cartoon villain, you're no longer intimidating; you're a punchline.

The first rule of fighting against a dictator is to use humor. Replace people's fear by making them laugh. Turn the bogeyman into a laughingstock. You break the paralyzing effect of fear by making people laugh at him.

His dismissal of Stephen Miller as "Voldemort" is equally brilliant. It's not just name-calling; it's strategic branding that sticks. Miller, who trades on being seen as a serious policy architect, becomes a fictional villain from a children's book. The humor disarms his gravitas while the pop culture reference ensures it spreads virally among younger audiences.

What's remarkable about Newsom's approach is how he's standing in the arena essentially alone. While other Democratic leaders continue to issue measured statements and hope for the best, Newsom is directly engaging with the same right-wing provocateurs he supposedly "platformed" just months ago. The difference is that now he's fighting them on equal terms, using their own tactics against them. You must fight the enemy where they are, not where you want them to be.

He's learned to match their tone and aggression, but with a crucial difference: he's funnier, sharper, and ultimately more effective. Where Trump's attacks are often crude and rambling, Newsom's responses are surgical strikes that expose his opponents' weaknesses while entertaining audiences. He's beaten them at their own game by being better at it than they are.

Newsom is emerging as the first major Democratic figure to truly understand that there is no negotiating with Trump or the MAGA movement. No compromise position will satisfy them, no middle ground where reasonable people can meet. Trump will lie about disasters, attack Democratic leaders, and weaponize human suffering regardless of the facts or the human cost. The right-wing media ecosystem will amplify these lies not because they're true, but because they serve the political narrative.

This recognition has liberated Newsom to fight back without apology. He doesn't waste time trying to find common ground with people who have no interest in governing responsibly. Instead, he focuses on exposing their bad faith, mocking their pretensions, and defending his constituents with the kind of aggressive advocacy they deserve.

The past six months have been Newsom's training camp. His controversial podcast appearances, his media appearances on hostile territory, and his willingness to engage with right-wing figures, all of it was preparation for this moment. He was learning their tactics, understanding their weaknesses, and building the media infrastructure necessary to fight back effectively.

Now, as Trump predictably attacks California during its moment of crisis, Newsom appears ready in a way that has eluded him since he became governor. He has the platform, the skills, and most importantly, the understanding that this is a fight that requires fighting back. His approach offers a blueprint for other Democrats: meet aggression with superior aggression, match propaganda with better messaging, and never, ever try to reason with people who have no interest in being reasonable.

Gavin Newsom has shown Democrats what it looks like to have a fighter in their corner, someone who understands that sometimes the best defense is a devastating offense. In a political environment where Trump's lies can literally cost lives, that kind of leadership isn't just refreshing, it's essential.