California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 57, is not pulling his punches against President Donald Trump, 79, amid widespread questions about the polarizing MAGA leader’s health.
In July, the White House acknowledged Trump experienced swelling in his lower legs from chronic venous insufficiency, which physician to the president Sean Barbabella described as “benign and common” in a memorandum.
At the end of August, Trump’s well-being became a trending topic as critics focused on the fact that the often-attention-hungry former reality star went dark for days.
The “Apprentice” star was noticeably absent from the public eye between Aug. 26 and Aug. 28, with no events on his schedule during that time — fueling speculation about what may have happened to the Republican politician.
On Aug. 31, Trump attempted to dispel the internet rumors about his alleged physical decline by insisting that he “never felt better” in a message shared on his Truth Social platform.
He returned to the social media app at 6:54 pm that evening to tell his supporters “GOOD NIGHT!!!” Governor Newsom’s official press office account on X seized on that post.
“Night night grandpa!” the Governor Newsom Press Office page posted on X four hours after Trump expressed good wishes to his followers.
Other people joined in on trolling Trump, as one person tweeted, “Seriously, where’s grandpa?” Another noted, “Grandpa Trump going to sleep while patriotic Governor Gavin Newsom works hard all night for his people.”
Another X user wrote, “No way Trump wrote that. It’s an obvious attempt to pretend he’s not tweeting his usual insane stuff because something is wrong with him.”
Some even raised suspicions about his son, Donald Trump Jr., who went ghost on X for days until returning on Sept. 1. “Why hasn’t Jr tweeted, it’s been 2 days, he tweets all day long, very strange!”
Newsom’s tactic of mocking Trump got some push back, too. Someone sarcastically asked, “Is a 13-year-old girl running this account?” while another said, “You guys think this is funny??? So cringe.”
Newsom has become an internet phenomenon for many left-leaning Americans. In contrast, the Democratic Party member’s relentless ridiculing of Trump triggered backlash from the right.
Numerous conservative Fox News personalities called out Newsom for incessantly spoofing the president. Trump even resumed calling the San Francisco native “Gavin Newscum” in retaliation, which earned a snowflake clapback from Newsom’s press office.
The controversy surrounding Newsom parodying Trump’s bombastic style of communication supposedly generated six figures through the sale of MAGA-inspired merchandise.
Newsom recently launched a website to sell “Newsom Was Right About Everything” hats, “Trump Is Not Hot” tank tops, and other products for $32, a cheeky response to the “Trump Was Right About Everything” merch.
The Patriot Shop reportedly sold $300,000 worth of items in the first 24 hours. A Newsom spokesperson told GQ, “The merch is flying, Dems are fired up, and we’re just getting started.”
Meanwhile, speculation about Trump’s medical condition continues to run rampant on social media. The rumors that the father of five and grandfather of eleven passed away dominated online conversations for days.
The president was spotted on Aug. 30 outside the White House with his 18-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump, as they loaded into a vehicle headed for the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. That was the first time Trump had been seen in public since a cabinet meeting on Aug. 26.
Vice President JD Vance, 41, weighed in on Trump’s wellness in an Aug. 28-dated episode of USA Today’s “The Excerpt” podcast. The former U.S. senator from Ohio addressed the possibility of having to step in as commander in chief if Trump were to die.
“I feel very confident the President of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people,” Vance stated. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on the job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.
