'Leader of the Free World' - Gavin Newsom’s Savage Meme War with Trump Has the Internet Screaming

Gavin Newsom has built a reputation as a staunch troll of President Donald Trump, and at present, he has trolled him straight off his own throne. The California governor announced himself as the 'Leader of the Free World' on social media, and unsurprisingly, the MAGA crowd isn’t taking it well. Newsom has been on a trolling spree for months, mimicking the president’s signature all-caps ranting style online while mocking his policies and administration blunders.

However, beating all the previous trolls, his recent post might be just the boldest of them all, which has even turned the President's base spiraling into a jealous meltdown. Newsom, in a hilarious fake “news wire” update, wrote, “Facts are facts!” And then came a parody press release titled, “Gavin Newsom declares himself leader of the free world.” From there, he went full Trump mode, posting, “GOOD NEWS PATRIOTS! WITH WASHINGTON SHUT DOWN, I GAVIN C. NEWSOM, AM NOW THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.”

This was followed by a punchline-filled platform, which stated - "MY PLATFORM IS VERY SIMPLE: HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS (NO MEASLES!), FREE SCHOOL MEALS (WOW PUDDING FOR EVERYONE), FREE CHILDCARE (THE MOMS LOVE ME! MORE BABIES!) GOOD-PAYING JOBS, AND NO MORE EVIL TARIFFS!!!”

And despite these, he wasn't done yet, and further said - “EGGS WILL BE FREE. HAIR GEL SUBSIDIES WILL BE AVAILABLE (BUT ONLY FOR HANDSOME DEMOCRATS) AND WE WILL ALSO LEGALIZE CANNABIS! CRIME WILL STAY LOW AND EVERYONE WILL BE HIGH ON PATRIOTISM. AND NO MORE TICKETMASTER FEES (FOR THE SWIFTIES, FEES STAY FOR KID ROCK!) THEY WILL CHANT USA! USA! BECAUSE WE WILL BE BACK AND ‘HOTTER’ THAN EVER BEFORE THANK YOU! – GCN.”

And no doubt, the internet went wild over Newsom’s post. “I am living for this,” one Threads user cheered. Another swooned, “I love me some Gavin Newsom!!!” Even parody accounts joined the fun, with one joke reading, “Trump found crying in Oval Office bathroom as the scale pushed 325 lbs… Gavin wins again, younger, healthier, and COULD keep his part of the government running, no matter what!”

Fans crowned him “King Newsom,” declaring, “Long live the king!” But MAGA supporters were not amused. “You do realize that’s what true dictators do,” one furious X user snapped. Another sneered, “Lmao, he is unhealthy and mentally ill. Someone get twinkle toes the help he needs.”

But beyond the laughs, the backdrop of the joke is no laughing matter. The federal government officially saw a shutdown at midnight Wednesday, which subsequently forced thousands of workers to work without pay. The people currently running Washington, President Donald Trump and the GOP — have refused to agree to a short-term funding deal and have instead blamed Democrats for the shutdown.

Not to mention that they have also pushed a controversial spending package that slashes health care and safety net programs in favor of extending tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. But while Trump’s Washington melts down, Gavin Newsom is racking up likes, laughs, and memes — and, judging by the internet’s reaction, enjoying every second of it.