Overview

• The governor’s press office on X teased MAGA-like merchandise, sharing a red hat that read “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!”
• CNN’s Harry Enten cited a Politico–Citrin Center poll showing 75% of California Democrats want or are excited about a 2028 Newsom bid, a sharp jump from 2023, with Newsom leading Kamala Harris in home-state testing.
• Newsom’s press account has surged since early August, adding about 250,000 followers and generating more than 225 million impressions, according to outlet tracking.
• Reaction is sharply divided, as Fox News hosts, Vice President J.D. Vance and White House allies call the mimicry inauthentic or trivial, while Bill Maher praised it as effective and “very funny.”
• The online offensive accompanies a redistricting drive, with the California Legislature approving a November special-election measure to put new congressional lines before voters in response to Texas Republicans’ plans.