Newsom Says Vance Terrifies Him More Than Trump
Gavin Newsom went on MS NOW and dropped a line that’s getting attention. He said Vice President J.D. Vance “scares me, almost more than Trump.” Short. Sharp. Designed to land.
That quote says as much about Newsom as it does about Vance. Democrats have a habit of reshuffling their fear list. The guy in office is “the worst.” The guy out of power is suddenly “reasonable.” It’s politics. It’s strategy. And Newsom played it on live TV.
Here are Newsom’s words, straight from the interview: “Vance, for whatever reason, scares me, almost more than Trump,” the Democratic governor told host Jen Psaki. “I mean, talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it.”
He went further, calling other Republicans “frauds” and “phonies.” Again, exact quote: “But JD is a unique fraud and phony, and he’s a little more dangerous,” Newsom said.
Let’s be blunt. Newsom is running heavy on inevitable-candidate energy. He’s everywhere — interviews, appearances, memos, photo ops. He wants Democrats to see him as the next big thing. Saying Vance is scarier than President Donald Trump is a convenient way to paint the GOP as divided and dangerous, while positioning himself as the steady hand.
But the reaction tells you something else. If Democrats are more worried about Vance than President Donald Trump, it means they’re betting on who can sell fear better to the base. Vance is sharper on some issues and less familiar than Trump. That unpredictability makes headlines. Headlines = attention. Attention = fundraising. Fundraising = power.
Meanwhile, Newsom’s record in California keeps getting scrutiny. Critics point to wildfire responses and state issues and call him out as a politician who talks big and delivers mixed results. Calling someone else dangerous is an old political trick. It shifts the spotlight.
The clip is rolling online. It will get replayed, dissected, and weaponized. That’s the 2028 game already shaping up — candidates testing lines, opponents testing responses, voters watching for real differences.
Here’s the video:
Marco Rubio is a complete fraud. But no one tops JD Vance. Talk about a guy who put a mask on his face and grew into it. Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/fNbTEYJY4z
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 26, 2026
Love him or hate him, Newsom knows the playbook. He’s building momentum, sharpening attacks, and trying to make sure his name sticks. Vance just became a bigger part of that story.