As Twitchy reported last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who seems to be campaigning to run against President Donald Trump in 2028, told an audience at a POLITICO event, "I am absolutely convinced there won't be an election in 2028." Absolutely convinced!
Newsom was a guest on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday night (a Democratic politician as a guest? Wow!) and reiterated his claim that "I fear we will not have an election in 2028 unless we wake up." He fears? What happened to absolutely convinced?
I fear that we will not have an election in 2028 -- I really mean that in the core of my soul -- unless we wake up to what's happening in this country. pic.twitter.com/BjPsmw2izX
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 24, 2025
The Alarmist lies are getting so boring. You know otherwise, you know that it will be. If it wasn't you wouldn't be campaigning.
— Sack Head Shaun (@2againsttyranny) September 25, 2025
You’re a moron.
— Floridian 🐊🇺🇸 FA/FO (@RandomFLDude) September 25, 2025
Rhetoric like this is what radicalized Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
— Corey (@CoreysName) September 24, 2025
Will you admit you were wrong in 2028?
— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) September 25, 2025
They're still playing this card?
— Next News Network 🇺🇲 (@NextNewsNetwork) September 24, 2025
So what happens when we do have an election in 2028?
Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Putin's adversary and world chess champion, apparently has a podcast called "Autocracy in America," and he sees Trump following Putin's playbook. "It's not hysteria or fear-mongering," he insists.
I doubt I agree with much of Newsom’s politics, but he’s awake to the real threat Trumpism represents to free and fair elections in America (2026, too). It’s not hysteria or fear-mongering; it’s the typical next step of Putinization, and Trump is following the playbook. https://t.co/hUNii5J0OH
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) September 24, 2025
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Not only that, Atlantic staff writer Conor Friedersdorf noted that Trump actually keeps a red "Trump 2028" cap in the Oval Office.
You can't *display Trump 2028 hats in the White House* then complain when many fear this possibility. Trump himself is the primary fuel for these fears, not Gavin Newsom https://t.co/UnAarGChua
— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) September 24, 2025
Actually, you can display a Trump 2028 hat in the White House, because it's a joke.
Personally, I take those hats as a joke. And I’m surprised anybody would take them seriously. There’s no appetite for Trump trying to do this, except among a tiny fringe.
— Czech One Two (@corrcomm) September 25, 2025
It’s going to be Vance.
How much of reactionary NT discourse is simply not understanding what trolling is.
— David Frank Writes (@David_N_Frank) September 24, 2025
Sorry, we all lost the ability to presume trolling on 1/6.
— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) September 24, 2025
January 6! Drink!
To pretend that you don't understand to concept of trolling is highly disingenuous.
— Zayphar Is Colorblind (@Zayphar) September 24, 2025
You might pretend that you are stupid in order to make a political point, but I don't believe that you actually are that stupid.
He's the troller in chief. Stop falling for it.😂
— Laurie Merrill (@lauriemerri) September 25, 2025
Democrats are free to depress their own voters by suggesting 2026 and 2028 will be "stolen" from them.
— Chris (@chriswithans) September 25, 2025
If liberals are so gullible that "Trump 2028" hats make them think Trump will run again in 2028 or that Trump will cancel elections, not sure what anyone can do about that.…
That's literally not cancelling the election though.
— James Kane (@jaskane) September 24, 2025
Good point. He'd have a crown on display instead. He'd probably wear it around, too.
It's a hat. I can get hats made with my name that say world's sexiest man, but that doesn't make it true.
— Nick Oliver (@LancasterLumber) September 24, 2025
He only displayed those as a joke to troll all the people who, going on eight years now, said he would be a dictator who would never leave the White House.
— Tectus (@TectusVulpes) September 25, 2025
Even though he did leave the White House.
No, this is still squarely on the Democrat party for starting this.
If you had even an ounce of the honesty and integrity you pretend to have, you'd be scolding Garry for promoting insane conspiratorial thinking, and urging him to get mental-health counseling.
— HoR_Emperor (@HorEmperor) September 25, 2025
Instead you enable him. Because you're a shitbag.
You are paying attention and fearing a 78 year old man who will be 82 years old in 2028. Trump will not have the energy to do much of what you fear. So if you think its going to happen, look towards a replacement.
— David G (@whosear12) September 25, 2025
The secret is that they are aware that they are hypocrites, but they know they can just say whatever they want cuz the reality distortion field is so powerful that they can just insist you're crazy and everyone else will believe it.
— MarikoRawralton (@MarikoRawralton) September 25, 2025
I realize you have no sense of humor, so let me help you.
— Yoshua Gilbert (@godsfavoriteant) September 25, 2025
Trump was joking.
Friedersdorf has to know the hat is a gag. Anyone who considers it "primary fuel" of the conspiracy theory that there won't be an election in 2028 needs to calm down.
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