California Governor Gavin Newsom is directly attacking President Donald Trump, and there are evaluations that he is expanding his position within the Democratic Party, which has fallen into 'a leadership vacuum' since last year's election defeat.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 7th (local time), since President Trump's inauguration, mentions of Newsom as a candidate for the 2028 presidential election have been increasing among political influencers, regardless of their affiliations. WP reported that "Newsom has received more attention than any other Democratic figure during Trump's second term."
Since early this year, he has been publicly opposing President Trump. He has criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement in Los Angeles and the Republicans' redistricting efforts. Recently, Governor Newsom also approved a proposal to allow a ballot measure that could lead to the defeat of 5 to 6 Republican House members due to redistricting.
Governor Newsom and President Trump have also had frequent clashes online. President Trump has mentioned Newsom's name 41 times on social media (SNS) since taking office, which is significantly more than other Democratic politicians, according to WP. Additionally, President Trump has posted manipulated videos related to Governor Newsom several times on SNS.
Governor Newsom has launched counterattacks. His aides posted a photo of President Trump, whose face is severely swollen and unrecognizable, on X (formerly Twitter) without any explanation. This photo quickly spread online, igniting speculation about President Trump's health. Newsom's side stated, "This was posted so that the whole world can mock a foolish and demented person who is the President of the United States."
In U.S. political circles, there are evaluations that Governor Newsom is asserting his presence by being the most aggressive in confronting President Trump. Democratic strategist and donor advisor Alex Hoffman said, "The Democratic Party desperately wants leadership right now, so they will accept anything they can get," adding that "Gavin is filling that vacuum."
Republican political consultant Mike Madrid commented that Governor Newsom is the first Democratic figure trying to confront President Trump by mimicking his tone. He mentioned that President Trump baselessly attributed the cause of the LA fires to Governor Newsom's water management responsibilities, saying, "Through the LA fire and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) incidents, Newsom has learned a tremendous amount." This implies that Newsom has learned Trump's attack methods.
Previously, the political media outlet The Hill also identified Governor Newsom as a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination. In a ranking of nine prominent Republican candidates and ten potential Democratic contenders conducted by The Hill, Newsom ranked first among Democratic figures. The Hill reported that "In a national poll conducted by Emerson College targeting Democratic primary voters, Newsom significantly outpaced his main competitors, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg."