Fighting fire with fire

California Governor Gavin Newsom has adopted a Trump-style, high-intensity propaganda strategy—complete with trolling, mock slogans, and theatrical ridicule—positioning himself as a bold counterforce in America’s fractured political arena. His brazen tactics energise Democrats but risk backlash from Trump loyalists, raising the question of whether sharp satire can truly sway minds in an age of polarised “truths” and emotional politics.