Gavin Newsom shared a series of Christmas memes on social media aimed at Kash Patel, Kristi Noem, and Donald Trump. Unsurprisingly, it quickly drew strong reactions from both sides. The post, which used satirical wish lists to ridicule the current administration, is one of the latest in Newsom’s meme war with Trump. 

Each meme shared on X (formerly Twitter) featured a festive border stylized “Dear Santa” list. The post targeting Trump was a direct reference to the recent reports on his fundraising and digital asset ventures. 

The meme aimed at the Homeland Security secretary pointed to her own admission in her memoir that she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog. The other reference was to the news of her using a state-owned house without paying rent and traveling on flights funded by taxpayers. 

The final meme referenced the FBI director’s past BMW expenses and travel claims. Each meme had snarky slogans, parody captions with commentary in all-caps with phrases like “Merry Griftmas.”

The posts followed a prior Christmas message from the California Democratic Governor’s press office. They used nicknames to ridicule Trump and numerous Republican officials. Styled like the president’s social media posts, it included hyperbolic jabs and was signed “GCN”, imitating Trump’s use of “DJT.” 

MAGA allies blasted Newsom, saying, “Even on Christmas Day, President Trump lives in ‘Never going to be President’ Newsom’s head.” Others simply told Newsom to quit dreaming of running in the 2028 primary. 

 According to a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab Survey, Newsom’s aggressive meme strategy has boosted his national profile. It has put him at the forefront of the 2028 Democratic polls. Meaning, he could take over former Vice President Kamala Harris in a 2028 presidential primary. 

With an inexorable, smashmouth, all-caps-lade and meme-filled X account, Newsom is holding a mirror up to MAGA, and they don’t like it. MAGA vanguard Steve Bannon told POLITICO in August, “He’s trying to mimic President Trump.” According to Bannon, Newsom’s social media approach energized Democrats seeking a fighter, not just ideology. 

In September, Trump allies slammed Newsom for his X post saying Noem was “going to have a bad day today.” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed that the posts “read like a threat.”

Newsom soon responded to the “threat” claims in his own sarcastic font. His post highlighted the absurdity of the accusations. He even shared a screenshot of a Vanity Fair article contrasting Trump’s aggressive rhetoric with the backlash he got. 

For a decade, Trump has blazed trails online. By mirroring Trump’s posts to the point of out-and-out parody and trolling, he’s successfully gamed social media algorithms.

Newsom has seemed to get on Republicans’ nerves by colonizing X’s usually Right-coded “for you” tab. But Bannon felt Newsom had possibly redefined Democrats’ function as the opposition party in the era of Trump. 

His meme-driven content is remodeling political messaging and connecting with digital voters. However, some strategists warned that Newsom’s combative style could alienate moderates. It could also inflame partisan divides. While his supporters praise his boldness, his critics find it risky or unprofessional. 

Trump and Newsom’s ever-intensifying meme warfare has been central to their political conflict in 2025. Speaking to CNN, some experts have noted how memes’ short, punchy, emotional trait catches attention. But they also stressed how it may gnaw away at trust and credibility.