California Governor Gavin Newsom has drawn praise for adopting Donald Trump’s signature all-caps style in a series of social media posts mocking the president. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Newsom referred to Trump as “DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP,” a reference to the acronym “Trump Always Chickens Out,” coined amid the president’s fluctuating tariff policies.
The exchange stems from a dispute over congressional redistricting. Newsom sent Trump a letter on Monday demanding he end what he called an “unprecedented, mid-decade, hyper-partisan gerrymander” to rig the upcoming midterm elections. Newsom warned that if Trump did not back down, California would redraw its own maps to offset Republican gains in other states.
Newsom gave Trump 24 hours to respond, and when the deadline passed on Tuesday, he posted: “DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, ‘MISSED’ THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS,’ THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!).” He added, “BIG PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH POWERFUL DEMS AND GAVIN NEWSOM — YOUR FAVORITE GOVERNOR — THAT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR ‘MAGA.’”
The tactic drew mixed reactions. Sports reporter Emily Bicks wrote that Newsom was “keepin the no f***s energy comin,” while liberal commentator Harry Sisson said he “absolutely love[s]” the disdain shown to Trump. Attorney George Conway mocked the president in response, adopting a similar tone. However, Reed Howard of Future Caucus called it a “race-to-the-bottom,” and reporter Alex Gault quipped that if the approach became lasting, he would seek a lobotomy.
The dispute escalated last month when Trump urged Texas to redraw its maps to gain five extra House seats, prompting Democrats to threaten reciprocal action in blue states like California. California currently uses an independent commission for redistricting, so Newsom would need voter approval for any new maps, likely through a special ballot measure in November.
