California Gov. Gavin Newsom is leaving little on the cutting-room floor in his running feud with President Donald Trump, pouncing on the president's one-word Truth Social “bela” post to taunt him while rallying Democrats around a partisan map fight.
Gavin Newsom’s Planned Attacks To Undermine And Provoke Donald Trump
Newsom's press shop blasted the President, saying, "Donald (Tiny Hands), has written his autobiography this morning” before stating that the President had misspelled “Beta” because of his “low IQ.”
“Soon you will be a ‘fired’ beta because of my perfect, ‘beautiful maps.’ Thank you for your attention to this matter! — GCN,” the X post added, followed with another post which said, “We Broke Donald Trump."
What Does Trump’s ‘Bela’ Post Mean, Or Is It Just Another ‘Covfefe’ Moment?
Trump's Sunday morning "bela" post, widely compared online to his 2017 "covfefe," sparked a wave of guesswork and jabs, although Newsom has been mimicking Trump's all-caps cadence for days as part of a broader messaging war.
The online theatrics land as California Democrats unveil a proposed mid-decade congressional map that Newsom says will "WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY" by helping Democrats reclaim the House. A limited "playbook" shared by party officials suggests as many as five additional blue-leaning seats, a mirror push to counter Texas Republicans' bid to net roughly five districts.
GOP’s Redistricting Plan Could Play A Key Role In Swaying The 2026 Midterms
In Texas, the GOP's draft lines target Democratic incumbents across the state's major metros, part of a Trump-encouraged effort to pad a razor-thin House majority ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Texas Senate advanced new boundaries even as House Democrats fled the state to block a quorum. Republican leaders have since discussed escalating options if blue states proceed.
Newsom's posture is equal parts policy and provocation. The governor's Trump-style, all-caps taunts have shown up in heaps on X over the past week as he pressures Democratic strongholds to move quickly on maps or "fight fire with fire," he argues.
Republicans call California's gambit a partisan power grab that would shred the state's vaunted independent redistricting system. The state GOP labeled the plan a "sinister redistricting scheme," and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) warned the Houston Chronicle over the weekend that Democrats risk breaking a reform he championed.
Legal hurdles also loom. Unwinding the commission likely requires a ballot measure before any new lines could take effect.
As for "bela," Trump offered no clarification. The stray post and Newsom's mockery became another skirmish in a larger contest over who writes the rules before votes are cast.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shuttertsock.com
Read Next:
