Why Gavin Newsom Won't Stop Trolling Trump | Pivot
Kara Swisher (host), Gavin Newsom (guest), Narrator, Kara Swisher (host), Narrator
In this episode of Pivot, featuring Kara Swisher and Gavin Newsom, Why Gavin Newsom Won't Stop Trolling Trump | Pivot explores gavin Newsom Explains His Relentless Trump Trolling And Power Strategy Kara Swisher and California Governor Gavin Newsom dissect his recent shift into aggressive, meme-driven trolling of Donald Trump and right‑wing media, framing it as a deliberate communications strategy, not a stunt. Newsom argues Democrats must abandon political “weakness,” fight fire with fire on messaging, and counter Republican power grabs like Texas-style redistricting. They also examine Trump’s moves against institutions like the Fed and his use of federal troops in cities, plus Democrats’ vulnerability on crime and public safety. Finally, they discuss tech’s alignment with Trump, AI harms and regulation, and Newsom’s broader effort to wake voters up to what he sees as an existential democratic crisis.
Gavin Newsom Explains His Relentless Trump Trolling And Power Strategy
Kara Swisher and California Governor Gavin Newsom dissect his recent shift into aggressive, meme-driven trolling of Donald Trump and right‑wing media, framing it as a deliberate communications strategy, not a stunt. Newsom argues Democrats must abandon political “weakness,” fight fire with fire on messaging, and counter Republican power grabs like Texas-style redistricting. They also examine Trump’s moves against institutions like the Fed and his use of federal troops in cities, plus Democrats’ vulnerability on crime and public safety. Finally, they discuss tech’s alignment with Trump, AI harms and regulation, and Newsom’s broader effort to wake voters up to what he sees as an existential democratic crisis.
Key Takeaways
Newsom’s trolling is a deliberate mirror of Trump’s tactics, not just comedy.
He says the all‑caps posts, AI memes, and parody merch are meant to spotlight how normalized Trump’s own absurd self‑mythologizing has become, and to force right‑wing media to confront their double standard.
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Democrats’ biggest liability is appearing ‘weak and right’ against ‘strong and wrong.’
Newsom cites Bill Clinton’s maxim and argues voters reward perceived strength; he believes Democrats have ceded narrative ground by shifting issues weekly instead of hammering simple messages ‘over and over and over’ like Trump.
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Redistricting is now a hard‑ball power struggle Democrats can’t sit out.
He frames California’s temporary map changes and voter-approved special election as an emergency response to Trump-pressured gerrymanders in Texas and other states, insisting it’s naïve to think Republicans will restrain themselves if Democrats do.
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Institutional guardrails like Fed independence and Posse Comitatus are under direct threat.
Newsom warns that Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook and his federalization of the California National Guard in LA preview a broader effort to politicize monetary policy and normalize domestic troop deployments.
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Democrats must own crime and quality‑of‑life issues with real action and plain language.
He admits statistics about declining crime don’t matter if people feel unsafe, and points to California’s added CHP officers, new anti–organized retail theft laws, and transparency efforts as the kind of concrete steps that need aggressive communication.
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Tech’s embrace of Trump is driven by fear and greed, despite long‑term risks.
Newsom criticizes companies for currying favor with Trump while depending on federal research, grants, and stable institutions he’s undermining; he argues only Democrats are plausible partners for serious AI and platform regulation that preserves innovation.
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AI harms, especially to kids, demand state-level experimentation in regulation.
Using the ChatGPT suicide case and past social-media harms, Newsom outlines California’s push on AI bills, privacy enforcement, and expert-led frameworks as attempts to balance innovation with accountability, even as courts frequently test or overturn these laws.
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Notable Quotes
““Every accusation is a confession with you people. That was just another example of projection.””
— Gavin Newsom
““Illusion rules. Facts don’t matter. That’s what Fox understands. That’s what Trump understands. He floods the zone, and we’re constantly on our heels.””
— Gavin Newsom
““Given the choice, the American people will always support strong and wrong versus weak and right.””
— Bill Clinton (quoted by Gavin Newsom)
““You’re a fool if you engage in a contest playing by the rules and the other side doesn’t play by any rules.””
— Gavin Newsom
““This is not the rule of law, it’s the rule of Don.””
— Gavin Newsom
Questions Answered in This Episode
Does mimicking Trump’s trolling style risk further degrading political discourse, even if it’s strategically effective?
Kara Swisher and California Governor Gavin Newsom dissect his recent shift into aggressive, meme-driven trolling of Donald Trump and right‑wing media, framing it as a deliberate communications strategy, not a stunt. ...
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Where should Democrats draw a line between fighting ‘strong’ and capitulating to norm-breaking that harms institutions long term?
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Could California’s emergency redistricting model become a template for other blue states, or will courts and intraparty critics knock it down?
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How can policymakers meaningfully regulate AI and social platforms to protect minors without stifling innovation or enabling government censorship narratives?
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What would it take for the tech industry to prioritize democratic stability over short-term regulatory advantage under a Trump-aligned government?
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Transcript Preview
Do you have a favorite, um, of your, of your memes? Uh, calling Trump "tiny hands" was nice. Your getting prayed over by Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock, and an angelic Hulk Hogan.
Oh, that was my favorite.
There's a lot of user-generated jesty stuff going on with you there.
Yeah.
Um...
They finally did some untouched photos of me without a shirt on, which is good, to finally see something that's not edited.
Yeah. Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher, and this is the final day of... Scot-Free August. (air horn blows) That's my sting, I love it. We're going big for Scot-Free August grand finale. My guest co-host is a podcaster. He's also the Governor of California and possibly the only person that could match Scott in irritating me.
(laughs)
It's Gavin Newsom. Welcome, Governor.
(laughs) Uh, it is great to be with you, the final, the final day.
Thank you.
When, when's Scott back?
Oh, gosh.
When's he back?
Uh, after Labor Day. We have a day off on Labor Day because we labor a lot. Yeah, and then he's back, and then he's-
Okay. Where's what... Has he been hibernating? Is he writing a book? What's he doing? What, what's, what's the...
No, he's in Nantucket. He's in Nantucket or in Aspen. He goes to, like, rich people vacations all over the place, and then, and then starts tweeting at the end of August because he wants to say something about... Not tweeting, he's on Threads and stuff, but he, like, starts to try to engage again, and he's desperate to get back.
It's good to be back with you on this very special final episode of Scot-Free August.
Yes, thank you. Try to keep the hand gestures to a minimum, because I'm very irritated with the President.
I know, I'm very sensitive. And you... I mean, if people didn't see, Trump attacked my hand motions. He said that was, uh... So I'm very sensitive now. You're right.
Yes.
I'm gonna... I'm just gonna... Forgive me. You're not gonna see them again. I'll do my best.
No. I like your hand motions. It's such a... What's wrong with you? He does a lot of hand motions.
Well, that was-
Every accusation is a confession with you people.
That was just another, another example of projection.
Yeah.
Just one more, one more than you need.
Projection?
That's it.
Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna get to that today. We've got lots of important issues, redistricting, the Fed, Big Tech. Um, so talk... I, I think the most important thing we have to discuss is, what do you think about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement?
(laughs)
I think it's hard not to talk about that.
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