Trump attacks Gavin Newsom over interview he calls worst in 100 years

Trump mocks the California governor's intelligence and claims the interview reveals “mental incapacity” in a blistering Truth Social post.

First Published: July 8, 2026, 7:32 PM ET

WHITE HOUSE — Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on California Governor Gavin Newsom over a recent interview on a Truth Social post on July 8, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Here is the full post on [truthsocial]: “Gavin Newscum’s recent Career Threatening Interview where he said he can’t read a speech, he was a stupid person, but smarter than the people in the room (RACIST!), has mental incapacity, difficulty, and various other ailments, may be the worst Interview given by a “professional” Politician in 100 years. No Politician has ever made such statements, and survived! Newscum is in BIG TROUBLE when he openly admits that Kamala is smarter than he is! Trump”

Trump used the derisive nickname “Newscum” for Gavin Newsom and claimed the governor admitted to being unable to read a speech, called himself “a stupid person” and displayed “mental incapacity” during a recent interview. Trump characterized the sit-down as the worst given by a professional politician in a century, adding that no politician has ever survived making such statements.

The post also referenced former Vice President Kamala Harris, with Trump asserting that Newsom is “in BIG TROUBLE” for admitting that Harris is smarter than he is. The remark appeared designed to pit two prominent Democrats against each other while questioning both their capabilities.

Gavin Newsom, born October 10, 1967, is the 40th and current Governor of California, a position he has held since January 7, 2019 (see wikipedia.org). A member of the Democratic Party, Newsom previously served as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2019 and as mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011 (see ca.gov). He was elected governor in 2018 and reelected in 2022, surviving a recall effort in 2021 that was fueled in part by criticism of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has repeatedly targeted Newsom throughout his political career, frequently criticizing the governor’s handling of California’s wildfires, homelessness and water policies. The latest broadside continues that pattern, focusing on personal attacks rather than specific policy disagreements.

In the last 30 days, 11 of 539 Trump posts were on the topic “Uncategorized,” indicating that attacks not tied to a specific policy area represent a small but recurring share of his social media output.