California Governor Gavin Newsom escalated his ongoing political feud with President Donald Trump on August 25, 2025, drawing direct comparisons between Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un after the president boasted about his relationship with the authoritarian leader.
The confrontation began when the Department of Labor promoted a photo on social media showing a massive banner draped over the Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. The banner featured a scowling Trump alongside the words “AMERICAN WORKERS FIRST,” positioned next to a similar image of Theodore Roosevelt.
Newsom responded with characteristic mockery, posting on social media platform X with the caption “THANK YOU, GLORIOUS LEADER!” above a photo of a large mural featuring former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il installed in Pyongyang. The post mimicked Trump’s distinctive social media style, complete with capital letters and exclamation points.
The governor’s trolling came just hours after Trump had publicly praised his relationship with current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an Oval Office appearance on Monday. Speaking to an audience, Trump expressed his eagerness to meet with the dictator again, stating he looked forward to seeing him. The president claimed to know Kim better than almost anyone, pausing before adding that Kim’s sister might know him better.
During a separate meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump reiterated his desire for diplomatic engagement. After Lee noted that North Korea had developed its nuclear and missile capabilities further during Trump’s four-year absence from office, the president expressed interest in renewed talks. Lee indicated he hoped Trump would usher in a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, to which Trump responded that he would pursue that goal through meetings with Kim.
Trump revealed intimate details about his previous interactions with the North Korean leader, explaining that he understood Kim and had spent significant free time with him discussing topics they probably were not supposed to talk about. The president characterized his relationship with Kim Jong Un as great, emphasizing his personal understanding of the dictator.
When contacted for comment about Newsom’s latest jab, the White House responded with a screenshot of a Daily Mail article from March claiming the governor was secretly paying for his own monument at San Francisco City Hall to commemorate his time as mayor.
This incident represents part of Newsom’s broader summer campaign of political gamesmanship targeting Trump and his administration. The California governor has developed a distinctive approach using AI-generated memes, satirical social media posts, and merchandise designed to provoke the president and his allies. Newsom launched this trolling campaign in July, coinciding with Texas Republicans’ redistricting efforts to secure five new seats for their party.
Newsom’s mockery extends beyond social media posts to include a commercial venture called the “PATRIOT SHOP,” launched on Sunday, August 25. The online store features Trump-style merchandise, including a red baseball cap reading “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” and a $100 Bible that mirrors Trump’s own religious merchandise ventures. The governor announced on social media that the shop had generated over $100,000 in sales, declaring that anyone who hated the Patriot Shop hated America.
The store’s inventory includes a “NEWSOM 2026” mug, a “DON’T POKE THE BEAR” yard sign, and various other items designed to parody Trump’s MAGA-style merchandising approach. One particularly provocative T-shirt features an image of Newsom surrounded by a heavenly glow alongside MAGA figures including former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan depicted with angel wings and a halo, and musician Kid Rock.
Newsom’s trolling strategy has proven effective at drawing reactions from conservative media figures and Trump himself. Fox News host Will Cain criticized the governor’s approach during Monday’s show, describing Newsom as borrowing Trump’s style and personality. Cain expressed particular frustration with Newsom’s merchandise sales, characterizing the governor’s personality as merely a shadow or copy of others.
The governor’s confrontational approach has also drawn comparisons between Trump and authoritarian leaders in previous instances. In June 2025, after Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to address anti-ICE protests, Newsom accused the president of acting like a dictator rather than a president, citing the incitement of violence, creation of mass chaos, militarization of cities, and arrest of opponents.
Trump has responded to Newsom’s provocations, claiming on Truth Social that the California governor was declining in polls and characterizing him as the person destroying the state. Trump pledged to save California, prompting Newsom’s press office to respond with three snowflake emojis, continuing the cycle of digital sparring between the two political figures.
