Gavin Newsom Sold $300,000 of Trump-Trolling Merch in 24 Hours
Does America need more garish political merch? The answer seems to be yes: Gavin Newsom has, according to a spokesperson, sold more than $300,000 worth of satirical branded swag—including a line of MAGA-esque red and white hats—in the first 24 hours after putting it on sale on August 24. Newsom, of course, is locked in an escalating feud with Trump and the MAGA-verse since the President deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles in June. (Yesterday, Trump promised to sue California over Newsom’s plan to redistrict the congressional map there, which itself is a response to the Texas gerrymandering that would add five Republican seats to Congress.).
Last week, Newsom and his communications team began parodying Trump’s bombastic all-caps communication style in a series of widely shared social media posts. On Monday morning, he announced the opening of “The Patriot Shop” on Instagram with the caption, “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE GREATEST MERCHANDISE EVER MADE. PLEASE ENJOY, AMERICA!” and a flurry of American flag emojis.
“NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” proclaims one red trucker cap in the shop (“Humility is overrated,” reads the product description). Elsewhere, a white tank is emblazoned with “TRUMP IS NOT HOT,” and a white tee bears an AI-generated meme of Newsom praying with Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock, and the ghost of Hulk Hogan.
Perhaps the sharpest jab, however, is a $100 Holy Bible—now listed as “sold out,” and described as being “Signed by Gavin Newsom, America’s Favorite Governor!”—a reference to the Trump-signed Bible that reportedly netted the president a six-figure profit last year. Newsom’s team wouldn’t confirm or deny if any Bibles were actually sold, but given the enthusiastic response to the collection, they remain bullish on their newfound strategy. “If Trump keeps handing us material, we’ll keep punching back with it,” says Newsom spokesperson Hannah Milgrom. “The merch is flying, Dems are fired up, and we’re just getting started.”
With a crucial midterm election approaching and Republicans doing everything in their power to rewrite the rules in their favor, Newsom and his fellow Democrats will have their work cut out for them in the coming months. Newsom is also considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2028, a prospect that—according to a recent poll—became a lot more likely this week. Whether or not trolling the president with his own absurd rhetoric will make a difference in either of these fights remains to be seen. In the meantime, Newsom has given his constituents something to rally behind, and the Internet something to meme about. Which, in the era of MAGA politics, might be the name of the game.
