California Governor Gavin Newsom has intensified his ongoing rivalry with Donald Trump by actively promoting his “Real Patriot” merchandise line as an alternative to MAGA-branded products.
In what appears to be a direct retort to products from the Trump Store—including the “Trump 2028” hats that have fueled speculation about future political ambitions—Newsom’s collection features hats emblazoned with “Real Patriot” and “Newsom was right about everything!”
Additional items available include a tank top bearing the phrase “Trump is not hot” and a T-shirt depicting Newsom as “the Chosen One,” with figures like Trump loyalists Kid Rock, Tucker Carlson, and the recently-deceased individual standing over the California leader.
Perhaps the most pointed item is Newsom’s promotion of a now sold-out $100 “Holy Bible,” which buyers were informed is “signed by Gavin Newsom, America’s Favorite Governor.” This follows Trump’s 2024 launch of his own “God Bless the USA” bible, from which he reportedly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trump’s version reportedly contains the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA.”
Adopting Trump’s rhetorical style and characteristic use of all-caps social media announcements, Newsom declared on Saturday that “THE PATRIOT SHOP IS NOW OPEN!” He has since enthusiastically promoted the merchandise, which he has—again, seemingly in a nod to Trump—described as “the greatest merchandise ever made.”
Shortly after the initial launch, Newsom announced that the website had already registered sales exceeding $100,000.
Regarding his recent social media engagement, which somewhat mirrors the MAGA political strategy, Newsom stated to reporters: “I hope it’s a wake-up call to the President of the United States following his example. If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as President. To the extent it’s gotten attention, I’m pleased.” Newsom further questioned, “how have we allowed the normalization of his [Trump’s] tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years to go without similar scrutiny and notice?”
Newsom’s merchandise initiative represents the latest escalation in his high-stakes dispute with Trump.
Disagreements between the two political figures date back to Trump’s first presidential term. Soon after assuming the governorship of California in early 2019, Newsom accused Trump of “fear-mongering” concerning his rhetoric on immigration and the LGBTQ+ community.
Since Trump’s return to office, their conflicts have once again become public. They clashed over the Los Angeles fires in January, with Trump attributing the severity of the blazes to Newsom. Newsom countered, with his spokesperson accusing the President of “playing politics” with the disaster.
Months later, in June, Trump provoked Newsom’s anger when he deployed federal agents to quell protests related to immigration raids, despite opposition from California officials. Newsom characterized the action as “purposefully inflammatory” and asserted that Trump “wants to be bound by no law or Constitution, perpetuating a unified assault on American traditions.”
The California leader initiated legal action against the Trump Administration, leading to a prolonged dispute. Trump even suggested that Newsom should be arrested over his handling of the unrest in Los Angeles.
More recently, Trump and Newsom have been at odds over a redistricting controversy, after the California Governor stated that he would “fight fire with fire” in response to Texas Republicans’ proposal to redraw state district lines in early August.
“It’s time to make another phone call to [Texas Gov.] Greg Abbott—this time instead of calling them and telling him you’re ‘entitled’ to five congressional seats, it’s time to tell him to stand down,” Newsom posted via social media on August 11.
Newsom announced that he would officially pursue efforts to redraw California district lines to counteract the actions of Texas Republicans, dubbing the move “Liberation Day” for the Golden State.
Trump responded on Monday, indicating his intention to file a lawsuit against Newsom’s redistricting proposal.
“I think I’m going to be filing a lawsuit pretty soon, and I think we’re going to be very successful in it,” Trump stated in the Oval Office. In a defiant reply, Newsom retorted, “bring it.”