Caps lock as weapon of resistance

Gov. Gavin Newsom is using social media to troll Trump and give himself a boost.

- ANITA CHABRIA COLUMNIST

GOV. Gavin Newsom shows legislation he signed calling for a special election on a RICH PEDRONCELLI Associated Press redrawn congressional map.

HELLO. IT'S ME, ANITA LYNNE CHABRIA, COMING TO YOU IN ALL CAPS-BECAUSE THAT'S NOW HOW POLITICS IS DONE.

No, I won't really torment you with shift-lock psychosis. But we will be diving into Gov. Gavin Newsom's wildly successful social media trolling of Donald Trump. Although much has been written about his parody of the president's bombastic style, replete with weird syntax and tongue-in-cheek self-aggrandizement, it turns out it's far more than just entertaining.

More than any other Democratic presidential hopeful out there, the social media offensive has raised both his profile and political fortunes-and highlighted some uncomfortable truths about American politics in this moment when the vast majority of voters are getting their information in 20-second snippets on TikTok, YouTube and X: Social media are not the sideshow; they are the main event.

But it's about more than GCN (Gavin Christopher Newsom, as he now signs his posts) making it to the Resolute Desk.

Whether you love Newsom or hate him, California is the epicenter on the resistance to Trump's push to expand presidential powers into authoritarianism. In courts, in the Legislature and on social media, this is the state that has fought back most effectively.

Newsom's recent decision to throw caution and subservience to the wind is at the heart of that, a move from frenemy to fighter that is essential to shaping and protecting the future of our democracy. One cheeky post at a time.

The seed of inspiration

How did we wind up here? Although January may seem like eons ago, it was in reality only nine short months since Newsom showed up uninvited on the tarmac in L.A. to greet Trump, even embrace him, as the president came to view the fire damage in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.