When Social Media Skill Meets Political Reality
AI memes of Gavin Newsom on Mount Rushmore or blessed by MAGA icons aren’t just jokes – they frame political debate. Memes won’t decide elections, but they shape how voters talk and think long before campaigns begin.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been making headlines recently, not with policy statements, but through a relentless stream of trolling aimed squarely at US President Donald Trump.
Much of what I've seen posted on social networks in recent weeks – notably on X, TikTok and Instagram – has mimicked Trump's style, tone and self-aggrandising approach with text all in capital letters and outlandish claims and denials. There's even an online merchandise store.
I've been intrigued about who's behind all this: who is Newsom's digital voice? Research revealed a good profile in Marie Claire, naming Camille Zapata, Newsom's Digital Director leading his social media team mostly comprising social-skilled Gen Zs.
Zapata crafted the strategic, satirical posts that have gained widespread attention. Newsom is closely involved, but it’s Zapata who developed and executes the approach, using deep knowledge of digital campaigning and political humour.
It's not just about vibes, though, says Marie Claire. The team moves with intention: every TikTok goes through legal review, they track breaking news in daily syncs, and they’ve built a crisis workflow for same-day approvals.
Seven examples of how memes shape politics: satire, spectacle, and deliberate provocation.
I couldn’t help but think of Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign supporting her run for president, and contrast Newsom's current activity with Harris's approach a year ago. Her social media was impressive – but what mostly caught my eye then was the infrastructure behind it: a giant, coordinated effort that turned cultural moments into strategic engagement, running like a well-oiled machine. Her digital operation redefined how campaigns could speak to Gen Z, even if, ultimately, it was too little, too late.
Newsom’s approach is very different. It’s fast, satirical, and reactionary. His MAGA-flavoured posts have stimulated an organic outburst of user-generated memes across social networks, adding to the attention and the noisy landscape.
In essence, he's holding up a mirror to the MAGA crowd, and they don't like it. The response from conservative media has been priceless – Fox News hosts labelled it “childish,” “performative,” even too Trump-like.
It’s not only Republicans raising eyebrows, though. Some Democrats worry his tone is too aggressive – that in trying to match Trump, he risks degrading political discourse. Others suggest it might turn off moderates who see leadership more in poise than provocation.
However, the strategy is deliberate, not accidental – a calibrated approach to frame the conversation on his terms.
The digital data tells a compelling story. According to The Daily Beast, Newsom's follower counts are exploding: X followers up 450 % since June, TikTok and Instagram growing by millions. His trolling has cut through the noise in ways few Democrats have managed.
As Vanity Fair put it, “[bullying of the bully] has now been implanted in the culture.”
Memes won’t win elections on their own (see Harris, above), but they shape the narrative. They frame how people talk, recall, and feel long before campaigns even begin. In that realm, Newsom is commanding the stage, and it looks like he's in a very good place for when the assessment for candidates to run for the Democrats in 2028 gets underway.
The lesson is clear: digital skill isn’t the whole story of politics, but it sets the stage where the story is told. Harris showed the value of infrastructure; Newsom shows the impact of satirical disruption that connects.
In the lead-up to the 2026 US midterm elections, Democrats who master both will set the agenda – as long as they have a compelling story to tell that goes beyond memes and mimicking.
