California Governor Gavin Newsom asserted on September 14, 2025, during a Los Angeles rally, that he is receiving “thousands” of messages from Trump supporters regretting their votes and applauding his resistance to President Donald Trump’s policies. Newsom, positioning himself as a leading Democratic critic, said the influx began after his social media trolling of Trump, including all-caps posts parodying the president’s style on issues like redistricting and immigration. “They’re saying, ‘I made a mistake, and thank God you’re standing up to him,'” Newsom recounted, framing it as a sign of shifting public sentiment amid Trump’s aggressive deportation efforts and border crackdowns.
The governor’s remarks come as his approval ratings climb, with a Morning Consult poll showing an 8-point jump among Democrats to 19% in late August, fueled by his viral online strategy. Newsom’s team has been mimicking Trump’s bombastic posts to highlight what he calls “absurdity” in the White House, drawing millions of views and memes. This approach, which started in January 2025 amid California’s wildfires and misinformation battles, has annoyed Republicans while energizing liberals.
Trump’s camp dismissed the claims as “fabricated nonsense,” with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling Newsom a “desperate showman” seeking 2028 relevance. Skeptics question the messages’ volume without verification, noting Trump’s 85% GOP approval in recent YouGov polls. However, Newsom’s clashes, including lawsuits against federal troop deployments, have boosted his national profile, potentially signaling cracks in Trump’s base.
As midterms near, Newsom’s narrative of voter regret underscores partisan divides, with his trolling tactic redefining Democratic opposition in the Trump era.
