Overview

• The Governor’s press office tweeted on August 16 in all caps that “NOT EVEN JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE CAN SAVE TRUMP FROM THE DISASTROUS MAPS ‘WAR’ HE HAS STARTED,” coining the mocking nickname.
• When asked about the tactic, Newsom told reporters he was “just following [Trump’s] example,” acknowledging deliberate imitation of the president’s social-media style.
• A Trump spokesperson dismissed the move as flattering but “a little creepy,” saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” regarding Newsom’s nickname obsession.
• The stunt builds on Newsom’s lawsuit against the administration over its unauthorized deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles earlier this summer.
• Newsom’s rhetorical gambit also underscores his threat to redraw California’s congressional map in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts before the 2026 midterms.