Newsom’s Anti-Trump Crown: A Prize That Expires in 2027, Just As He Is Out of Office

His war with Trump fuels headlines now, but January 2027 ends the show - as he becomes a “Former Governor” and if the House Flip, the Anti-Trump megaphone would go to Jeffries and Garcia.

⏰ 4.5-minute read

From Podcast Flop to Resistance Figurehead

Gavin Newsom’s anti-Trump stardom burns bright but is a fading flame. He entered this year trying to broaden his appeal, launching “This Is Gavin Newsom,” where he oddly would get all chummy with a who’s who of the Trumpy right, ranging from Charlie Kirk to Steve Bannon. I remember watching the first episode (with Kirk) to watch him express a stated belief that transgender athletes in women’s sports were “deeply unfair” to the girls. Predictably, this sparked a backlash, with California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and shortly thereafter, Newsom embraced a bizarre policy where if a biological male athlete took gold, then the next place getting a girl could also get gold. Newsom’s penchant for wanting to make everything he is currently talking to happy was in full display While I’m using that debut hypocrisy as an anecdotal example, it reflects the broader reality: the podcast never found its footing, and nothing after changed that.

As the podcast Newsom found another way to keep the spotlight: become the nation’s “Anti-Trump” - taking on the President at every turn. This, of course, is how Newsom ended up roping himself into a cynical effort to impose a partisan gerrymander of California House District lines, hoping to take a slanted 43 Dem, 9 Republican sort shift five more seats to the Democratic side. The irony is that if Prop. 50 actually passes, it could very much work against Newsom’s own Presidential aspirations. But more on that in a bit.

The Ex-Governor’s Fade

With the end of next year comes Gavin Newsom’s brick wall. Once Newsom leaves office—nearly two years before the 2028 Presidential election —he becomes just another ex-governor trying to stay relevant. It’s a good thing for Newsom that this has proven to be such a great launching pad — not. History is not kind: think Howard Dean, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Deval Patrick. Mitt Romney is the rare exception—even he lost the big one. Without an office, the microphone gets quieter. A lot quieter. Prop 50 rallies and meme-ready jabs may trend for a day, but ex-governors get drowned out by people who actually hold power.

Be Careful What You Wish For

If Democrats take the House in 2026, the California anti-Trump spotlight moves to Washington. Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, now the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, will take the gavel — think subpoenas, hearings, prime-time coverage. Who doesn’t remember how effectively conservative Rep. Darrell Issa used that committee to go after President Obama through most of his time in office. And of course the “big prize” for Democrats in the majority would be irresistible: launch impeachment theatrics that dominate headlines—leaving Newsom, by then a private citizen, watching from the sidelines while Hakeem Jeffries runs the show.

So, Does It Matter?

Ironically, the best path forward for Newsom’s Presidential obsession is for Republicans to hold control of Congress. But even if that happens, Newsom is still going to be running from the same graveyard as the host of other former Governors who have tried over the last generation. Sure, Ronald Reagan did in almost half a century ago. But to paragraph Lloyd Benson — I met Ronald Reagan, and Gavin Newsom is no Ronald Reagan. They aren’t even in the same league...

Newsom should enjoy the crown while it lasts. It’s a perishable prize, and the expiration date is the end of next year. Tick tock.

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