Trump Presidency
Gavin Newsom Trolls Donald Trump—Again—Using Taylor Swift’s “Actually Romantic”
California’s governor turns pop culture into political power.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again turning to Taylor Swift for political inspiration—and this time, he’s doing it with her latest hit, “Actually Romantic.”
In a new viral Instagram video, Gavin Newsom cleverly paired the song from Taylor Swift’s chart-topping album The Life of a Showgirl with a montage of his past interactions with Donald Trump. The video showcases photos of their most awkward exchanges and screenshots of Trump’s social media insults—often referring to the governor as “Newscum.”
As Taylor Swift’s playful lyrics play—“It’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me / It’s actually wild all the effort you put in / It’s actually romantic”—Newsom’s post reframes Trump’s mockery as flattery.
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The internet loved it. Within hours, Gavin Newsom’s post drew thousands of likes and comments.
“No one works harder than Gavin’s social media team,” one user commented, while another quipped, “Whoever pitched this deserves a raise.” Others simply called the video “chef’s kiss.”
It’s not Gavin Newsom’s first time using Taylor Swift’s discography as political shade. Earlier this year, he clapped back at Trump’s angry tweets with Swift’s 2019 anthem “You Need to Calm Down,” highlighting the lyric: “Say it in the street, that’s a knockout / But you say it in a tweet, that’s a cop-out.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom
Taylor Swift’s “Actually Romantic”: The Song Behind the Shade
While Gavin Newsom’s post gave Swift’s song a political twist, the pop icon herself explained the more profound message behind “Actually Romantic.”
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In an Amazon Music interview for The Life of a Showgirl: Track-by-Track Edition, Swift said the track explores the strange flattery hidden in obsession. “It’s about realizing someone has had a one-sided adversarial relationship with you,” Swift said. “They’ve made you a big part of their world, even when you weren’t thinking about them. It’s actually pretty romantic, if you really think about it.”
That sentiment seems tailor-made for Newsom’s response to Trump—turning resentment into recognition, hostility into humor.
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Pop Culture Politics at Its Sharpest
Newsom’s use of Taylor Swift’s lyrics reflects a broader trend: politicians leveraging pop culture to connect with digital audiences. With his quick wit and meme-savvy strategy, the California governor has carved out a unique online persona that resonates with both younger voters and political observers.
By using “Actually Romantic” to reframe Donald Trump’s jabs, Newsom showcased the power of humor, irony, and music in modern political messaging. As one X (formerly Twitter) user put it: “Gavin Newsom doesn’t fight fire with fire—he fights it with Taylor Swift.”
“Actually Romantic” appears on Taylor Swift’s 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, which has dominated streaming platforms since its October 3 release. The song’s themes of attention, rivalry, and irony couldn’t have found a more fitting political echo than in Newsom’s viral post.
