Haines critiques Newsom’s Trump-style social media push

The View co-host Sara Haines criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom's Trump-style approach to social media on Friday, arguing that his strategy of "playing someone else’s game" is ineffective in moving the party forward or countering President Donald Trump.

Haines said Newsom has been able to reach wider audiences through his podcast appearances and heavy focus on social media, but her support has shifted to other Democrats, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. "This is why I’m a big proponent for Gov. Wes Moore. I love Sen. Elissa Slotkin. I love Rep. Sarah McBride. Their style of speech — they’re so solid in who they are and not changing to play someone else’s game," Haines asserted. "As an athlete, we were taught don’t let someone else take you off your game, what you do well. I think that’s one thing we’re seeing is the reason Newsom is talking that way and doing that is because Trump did it. Nobody outdoes Trump."

Joy Behar pushed back, arguing that Newsom isn’t imitating Trump but mocking him. "Mocking him is fine, but people are all so done with that," Behar countered. "They want substance. They want solutions. They want solving problems." Continuing to push back, Behar argued that in order to get your message across, you first need the public's attention. "I think he had our attention already," Haines replied. "I would just rather they push someone to the front that’s more like a Gov. Wes Moore. I think he is the one that will sweep in when people hear him talk, he needs no prep, no notes, no nothing because he feels everything he believes to his core, and he takes action."

Since mid-August, Newsom’s press office account on X has gone viral for posting in a Trump-like style. It has called Newsom "AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR," typed in all-caps, and issued mocking nicknames for critics. Newsom's strategy has drawn mixed opinions from Democrats, with some praising the humor, and others criticizing the approach as too unserious. Last month, former DNC chair Donna Brazile criticized Newsom's social media tactics against Trump during an appearance on ABC's "This Week," emphasizing that "these are serious times that require serious people to be at the table.""Everybody likes a good laugh, and now he’s about to, I guess, issue his own cup and golden tennis shoes and who knows what else," Brazile said. "These are serious times that require serious people to be at the table." Real Time host Bill Maher praised Newsom for his "trolling" of Trump on social media, claiming that the California governor has "grasped the essential thing about American culture in this day and age.""I’ve never seen a Democrat do this," Maher told his "Real Time" panel. "I think it’s very funny." Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom's office for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

Observers note that the exchange underscores a broader debate within the Democratic Party about how to communicate effectively in the age of social media and deep political polarization. Some argue humor can blunt the sway of Trump-era messaging, while others warn that snark risks eroding perceived seriousness when policy decisions are on the line.