California Governor Gavin Newsom is making headlines again for trolling U.S. President Donald Trump.
Newsom appeared on CBS News Sunday Morning in an exclusive interview, in which he discussed whether he is considering running for president after the 2026 midterm elections.
Newsom also spoke about Trump, and in his typical mockery style, criticized the president.
Highlights
- California Governor Gavin Newsom called Donald Trump an 'invasive species,' sparking viral reactions on social media.
- Newsom said Trump is a 'wrecking ball,' damaging alliances, truth, trust, tradition, and institutions worldwide.
- Newsom's team uses humor and sarcasm regularly to mock Trump and his administration on social media.
Gavin Newsom’s three-word description of Donald Trump from a recent interview is going viral
Image credits: Mario Tama/Getty Images
In the interview, Newsom began by acknowledging that his statement might raise eyebrows.
“May not be a prudent thing to say about the president of the United States,” he said, pausing before delivering the jab.
“Let’s hear it,” CBS News host Robert Costa said.
“He’s an invasive species,” Newsom said.
The California governor went on to explain that he believes Trump is an “invasive species” not just for California but “For the country. For the world.”
“He’s a wrecking ball,” Newsom said. “Not just for the symbolism and substance of the East Wing. He’s wrecking alliances, truth, trust, tradition, and institutions.”
Last week, the White House confirmed the East Wing of the White House was being demolished to make way for Trump’s new 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
The move received strong criticism, since Trump had promised the construction wouldn’t “interfere with the current building.”
Newsom mocked Trump for it with an edited image of Trump sitting on a wrecking ball, imitating Miley Cyrus’ cover for her song ‘Wrecking Ball.’
Newsom called Trump ‘an invasive species’
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
“It’s been 12 years, 1 month, and 11 days since Miley Cyrus dropped the music video for Wrecking Ball,” Newsom wrote in the caption.
Social media users quickly picked up on the “invasive species” label for Trump. The phrase trended on X within hours, with many calling it a “perfect description.”
One user wrote, “Trump's not just an invasive species, he's the asteroid that turns thriving ecosystems into craters, all while bragging about the dust cloud.”
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
Another commented, “Perfect description. He spreads fast, kills everything decent in his path, and leaves chaos where democracy once stood.”
Newsom’s comments continue a long pattern of public sparring between him and Trump. The Democratic governor has often used humor and sarcasm to criticize Trump and members of his administration.
Many of Newsom’s posts also mimic Trump’s signature writing style with all capital letters.
Earlier this month, he mocked Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Camp Pendleton with a post that read, “JD — WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA, WE MADE SURE YOU FEEL RIGHT AT HOME,” alongside a photo of a vandalized couch, a reference a viral claim made in July that Vance admitted to having sex with a couch in his memoir.
When Trump complained about an unflattering angle of his portrait on Time magazine cover, Newsom’s office posted a blurred-neck edit of the same image.
Newsom has also dubbed Trump’s newly renovated White House “Rose Garden Club” the “Predator Patio,” accusing Republican lawmakers of celebrating at the expense of working Americans.
Newsom has regularly mocked Trump and members of his administration
“After ripping health care from 17 million Americans and slashing food stamps for kids, we’re glad Mike ‘Marie Antoinette’ Johnson and his boy friends had time to toast the grand opening of the Predator Patio,” Newsom’s press office said on X.
Earlier this month Newsom taunted the president, after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed top military brass, announcing strict new “male-level” fitness standards and slamming “fat troops” and “fat generals.”
Newsom shared a clip of the speech, accompanied by a photo of Trump in a McDonald’s. “I guess the Commander in Chief needs to go!” Newsom wrote on his personal account.
Taking the jibe even further, Newsom’s official press office account tweeted an AI-generated photo of Trump stuffing his face with McDonald’s burgers as drones dropped off more food. “IT’S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO SEE A FAT COMMANDER IN CHIEF IN THE HALLS OF THE WHITE HOUSE!” the post read.
Newsom’s team also mocked Trump’s top advisor Stephen Miller on his 40th birthday with a photo of the Harry Potter villain Voldemort wearing a party hat.
Newsom has opened what he calls the ‘Patriot Shop,’ where he sells merchandise related to Trump, including $100 Bibles. The Bible takes a jab at Trump’s God Bless America Bible, with Newsom’s website listing the Holy Bible signed by “America’s Favorite Governor.”
People close to Newsom revealed in a conversation with The Standard that the government has two staffers who are carrying out a broader strategy to counter Trump, using the confrontational style the president often employs.
Image credits: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Newsom has regularly responded to criticism. “If you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president. To the extent it’s gotten some attention, I’m pleased,” Newsom said at a press conference two months ago.
At a press conference last month, he said, “We’re putting a mirror up to the lunacy that is Trump’s tweets, and his grift, the madness that is someone that would dress up as the pope and tweet that out or put his face up there on Mount Rushmore, or in a Superman costume.
“So I do think it’s important to put that mirror, that lens, back and have everyone reflect on it and say, ‘Have we accepted this as normal?’ Why aren’t we calling this out more clearly?”