From reposting racist extremist accounts to trolling President Trump online with satirical merch, Newsom appears to be testing what one can get away with when they embrace a more provocative social media presence.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is nearing the end of his two-term tenure, and speculation is swirling about what he’ll do next. Many suspect presidential ambitions and view many of the Governor’s actions through that lens—a series of calculated actions to set the stage for a national campaign. It’s all the more curious, then, that Newsom spent last Sunday night reposting content from racist, far-right accounts on Twitter/X.
A questionable strategy to say the least.
The post in question was a slide of two photographs: “Gavin Newsom vs JD Vance in high school.” Now-Gov. Newsom, on the left, was pictured wearing a button-down, blazer, and a tartan scarf. Now-Vice President Vance, on the right, was pictured wearing a black graphic tee and posing with two young women in front of urinals. Gov. Newsom responded, “I miss that scarf.” in his quote of the original poster, a user known by the handle @YungPutin1.
“YungPut1n,” as the display name reads, is a self-proclaimed “Intellectual Wigger” whose X banner image prominently features controversial right-wing figure Nick Fuentes. After Gov. Newsom reposted the photos, some called into question his interaction with this user, calling the user one of the “Groypers,” or a “Nazi.”
The account Newsom posted, in particular, posted a video of Kanye West doing a Sieg Heil (Heil Hitler) salute with the caption “realest human being.” Another is a reaction image of Newsom pointing with the caption “you are Jewish.” There are frequent other posts of swastikas and similarly objectionable content. Normal fare for Groypers, perhaps, but it’s the kind of thing a high-profile figure like Newsom would usually avoid, not spotlight.
The Groypers, sometimes known as part of the “Groyper Army,” are a loose network of far-right internet users and activists often associated with Fuentes. While these individuals call themselves conservative or traditionalist, the Groypers are broadly recognized––even within mainstream conservative circles––as extremists pushing white supremacist, antisemitic, authoritarian ideas. They, along with Fuentes, make frequent references to—and jokes about—eugenics and impose racial purity tests to discredit arguments on both the Left and Right.
And lately, they’ve started embracing Newsom.
In a recent video, Fuentes said that Newsom’s family has “beautiful blood” and “beautiful genetics.” In another video he said of Newsom “look at this Aryan” and repeatedly called him “handsome.” Joking or not, Fuentes does this shtick purposefully to jab at Vice President Vance, who is married to an Indian woman. Previously, Fuentes said of Vance “do we really expect that the guy who has an Indian wife and named their kid Vivek is going to support white identity?”
Gov. Newsom’s repost of a Groyper account is only one of many recent behaviors of his or his campaign team going on the offense and positioning him as a potential Democrat candidate for 2028. After the leaked redistricting maps for California went viral, Gov. Newsom’s press office posted an all-caps, satirical statement to X on August 15, following a similar tone to President Donald Trump’s eccentricity and syntax: “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING — AND I AGREE — THAT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM (AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR) DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE “MOST INCREDIBLE MAPS IN THE HISTORY OF MAPPING” (EVEN COLUMBUS).”
Since then, both his press office’s account and his own X account appear to be taking a page out of the provocative playbook that Republican candidates like President Trump once used to charm voters with a more humorous, incisive, and dynamic approach to political commentary in the modern era.
In response to a President Trump post on Truth Social, where the president wrote, “Gavin Newscum is way down in the polls. He is viewed as the man who is destroying the once Great State of California. I will save California!!! President DJT,” Gov. Newsom simply replied: “Triggered?”
Then, on August 22, Gov. Newsom began posting mockups of his alleged new merchandise, like a red hat with white lettering reading “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” to match President Trump’s “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” cap, a white wifebeater tank top with red lettering reading “TRUMP IS NOT HOT,” and even a white mug with red lettering reading “NEWSOM 2026” which was accompanied by the governor writing: “TERM LIMITS ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS! NEW MUG COMING SOON TO THE PATRIOT SHOP! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸”
Prominent conservative figures like General Mike Flynn, the former National Security Advisor to President Trump, were quick to call out his “antics” as being part of a “calculated strategy.” And while Gen. Flynn asserted that President Trump’s appeal came from authenticity, he accused Gov. Newsom of “misreading the very playbook he is trying to imitate.
But will meme behavior be enough to secure Gov. Newsom a shot at the highest office in the United States? According to recent Emerson College polling, Gov. Newsom scores 23% in popularity amongst suggested Democrat candidates for the 2028 presidential nomination. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris––who similarly approached her short 2024 presidential candidacy with meme-ified, punchline politics aimed for virality but fell flat with the young voters she hoped to reach––only earned 11% in the same Emerson College polling.
If polling trends are to be believed, Gov. Newsom has rising enthusiasm and recognition as presidential potential, earning stable approval ratings around 50% and high engagement over his bold policy initiatives like redistricting. But this upward trajectory has yet to recover from his previously plummeting approval rates as COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictive protocols drew criticism from Californians––even sparking a recall effort.
Only time will tell if Gov. Newsom’s attempt to create a provocative, competitive image for the 2028 election, but one thing is for sure. If his rebrand is anything like former Vice President Harris’s “Brat Summer” strategy, where her campaign rebranded social media with neon-bright visuals mimicking the popular Charli XCX album Brat and pushed the slogan “Kamala IS brat,” ultimately losing favor with the internet-savvy voters she sought after, he may be in for a tough race.
And courting racist Groypers’ votes won’t make it much easier.
