Midnight Rants and Political Payback: Trump's Obsession with Gavin Newsom

As the clock ticked past midnight and into the early hours, former President Donald Trump embarked on a characteristic social media tirade, turning his nocturnal focus squarely on California Governor Gavin Newsom. This wasn't a casual post; it was a sustained digital broadside, revealing a deep-seated grievance and an almost obsessive fixation on a specific, years-old comment.

The target of Trump's ire was Newsom's critique of Vice President Kamala Harris from back in 2019, when Harris was still a presidential candidate.

Newsom, during an appearance on "The View," had remarked that Harris was "not a serious candidate." This seemingly minor historical footnote from the Democratic primary debates became the fuel for Trump's latest online "meltdown," as he repeatedly shared news articles referencing Newsom's past sentiment.

Trump's posts on Truth Social were a masterclass in his signature style: highly repetitive, personally cutting, and dripping with thinly veiled contempt.

He labeled Newsom "lame" and "pathetic," suggesting that the California governor was a "loser." The underlying message was clear: in Trump's world, any past criticism of a political figure, especially one now in a prominent position, is fair game for relentless public shaming, often resurrected at the most peculiar hours.

Newsom's original comment came at a time when Harris's presidential campaign was struggling to gain traction, eventually ending before the Iowa caucuses.

It was a rather common observation within political circles at the time. Yet, for Trump, it appears to be a powerful piece of perceived hypocrisy or disloyalty, which he felt compelled to highlight repeatedly in the dead of night.

This late-night digital assault comes amidst Newsom's own rising national profile, particularly with recent speculative discussions about potential replacements for President Biden on the 2024 ticket.

Whether Trump's barrage was a calculated effort to undermine Newsom's burgeoning influence or simply another instance of his well-documented habit of airing grievances when the world sleeps, it certainly offered a window into the former president's enduring fixation on perceived slights and political rivals.

Ultimately, Trump's midnight social media storm against Gavin Newsom serves as yet another peculiar chapter in his digital political saga.

It underscores his consistent tactic of unearthing and weaponizing past statements, and his willingness to engage in protracted, personal attacks, regardless of the hour, signaling a campaign strategy deeply rooted in grievance and relentless opposition.