Fox News’ Dana Perino Furious Over Gavin Newsom’s Trump-Style Social Media Tactics

Gavin Newsom’s Trump-Inspired Social Media Strategy Sparks Outrage at Fox News

Dana Perino, longtime Fox News host and former White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush, was visibly outraged this week after California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a bold social media campaign mimicking Donald Trump’s infamous online behavior.

Over the past few weeks, Newsom’s official press office has been posting on X (formerly Twitter) using ALL CAPS, self-congratulatory language, political memes, and direct attacks on key Republican figures—reminiscent of Trump’s signature online style. The campaign appears to be more than coincidence; it’s a deliberate choice, according to Newsom himself.

This past weekend and into Monday, the governor’s X account went on what many are calling a “Trump-style rampage,” mocking prominent MAGA figures. Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren was labeled “woke,” South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was nicknamed “Commander Cosplay,” and meme parodies targeted Kid Rock and Senator JD Vance.

Reacting to the social media blitz, Dana Perino strongly condemned Newsom during Monday’s episode of The Five on Fox News, calling his behavior embarrassing and even suggesting his wife should step in.

“You have to stop it with the Twitter thing,” Perino said, clearly agitated. “I don’t know where his wife is? If I were his wife, I’d say: ‘You’re making a fool of yourself, stop it!’”

She continued, alluding to rumors of Newsom’s presidential ambitions:

“He’s got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger one, he’s got to be a little more serious. Don’t let your staff tweet for you—and if it’s you doing it, put the phone down and start over.”

Newsom’s office wasted no time in firing back. That same day, his X account reposted a clip of Perino’s rant with a sarcastic all-caps caption:
“ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON’T GET IT.”

Clearly, the governor and his team aren’t backing down. Over recent days, Newsom’s X account has taken aim at several conservative figures beyond Trump himself, including Casey DeSantis and Kristi Noem.

After Noem blamed the California DMV for issuing a driver’s license to an undocumented immigrant involved in a deadly crash in Florida, Newsom clapped back on X:

“Hey, Commander Cosplay: the federal government (YOU) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements—YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). Oops. As usual, you are either lying or clueless.”

Speaking to reporters last Thursday, Newsom confirmed the strategy was intentional, calling it an “experiment” in political communication.

“If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he’s putting out as president.”

The “experiment” includes borrowing Trump’s infamous catchphrase—“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”—signed off with Newsom’s initials, GCN. Other posts mock JD Vance’s eyeliner use, demand the release of the Epstein files, and relentlessly call out conservative figures and their policies.

One particularly inflammatory post came during Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Newsom’s X account published a full-caps tirade:

“TRUMP JUST FLED THE PODIUM WITH PUTIN — NO QUESTIONS, NOTHING! TOTAL LOW ENERGY. THE MAN LOOKED LIKE HE’D JUST EATEN 3 BUCKETS OF KFC WITH VLAD. IS HE AFRAID THE PRESS WILL ASK ABOUT ME??? (AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR).”

It ended with the bold declaration:

“ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT HOME, DONALD — YOU’RE PUTIN’S PROBLEM NOW. I’M AMERICA’S SOLUTION. — GCN”

Tomi Lahren fired back on Fox News, accusing Newsom and his team of acting like “beta males who sit down to pee,” claiming they genuinely thought their social media trolling made Newsom look like a “badass.”

“I don’t know if it’s the weed or the gender-neutral bathrooms, but something is wrong over there,” she said, referring to California.

The governor’s team responded swiftly and sharply:

“Tomi’s account is basically Yelp for toilets now.”

Lahren has since released a YouTube video criticizing Newsom, calling his Trump-style antics the “ultimate FAIL” and claiming the approach makes him look weak, not strong.

Gavin Newsom’s strategy represents a daring shift in Democratic political communication. By deliberately copying Trump’s chaotic online behavior, Newsom says he’s not just mocking his opponents, but also holding a mirror up to the media and the public—forcing them to question why Trump’s behavior has become so normalized.

The question now is whether the public will see Newsom’s campaign as a bold political critique—or simply the latest chapter in what Fox News calls an embarrassing descent into trolling.