Governor Newsom’s latest troll of President Trump and the MAGA movement is opening up his own online merchandise store … It comes after Newsom’s social media team created posts in all caps, with the same tone and style as Trump’s social media musings. UC Irvine political science professor Tony Smith says Newsom’s new online store is pointing out what Democrats believe is the absurdity of President Trump’s marketing: “Too is he’s signaling to Democrats and Independents that the way you take down a despot is through mockery. The way you get rid of a king is through making fun of him,” says Smith.

Listen in:

Audio Interview: Governor Newsom’s Team Opens Online Store After Social Media Activity

In this segment, Tony Smith, UCI Political Science and Law, discusses how Governor Newsom’s team followed a series of mimicking posts by launching an online store. The interview aired on Aug 26, 2025, on KNX News 97.1 FM.

Audio provided by ucisocsci on SoundCloud.