Newsom Jabs At ‘maga Trolls’ As He Broadens Information War

SACRAMENTO, California — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a website fact-checking anonymous X accounts, in-state Republicans and President Donald Trump — escalating a campaign to defend his home state and record against false and misleading information online.

The governor voraciously consumes conservative media and has adopted creative strategies to counter its influence by appearing on Fox News, deploying staff to counter criticism on X and creating another site to fact check claims about this year’s fires in Los Angeles.

This latest expansion of his efforts, first reported here, establishes a more comprehensive website that goes beyond tackling a deluge of false information about the fires. The governor plans to use the site, funded by his Campaign for Democracy political action committee, to rapidly respond to claims from Trump, Elon Musk and conservative influencers. He has repeatedly lamented Democrats' failures to break through information ecosystems dominated by Trump supporters and Republicans and earlier this year launched a podcast to both connect with — and push back on — opposition figures.

“This site is for everyone sick of the BS about California,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re done letting the MAGA trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back — with facts.”

Posts already on the site dispense with some serious whoppers from questionable sources. One claim, from an X account named “Beauty Hub,” incorrectly asserts that stealing up to $950 is legal in California. Another post, from Libs of TikTok, falsely claimed California reservoirs ran dry during the LA fires.

Californiafacts.com deploys some of Newsom’s go-to answers for common criticisms of his home state. It responds to economic digs by touting California’s status as the fourth-largest economy. To an X post that accused Democrats of being a party of “zealous open border immigration,” it notes the federal government’s jurisdiction over the issue and cites the economic benefits of people commuting across the Mexico-California border for work.

“We’re living in a new world of disinformation, and Governor Newsom has been on the front lines of fighting it, first with the fires, and now against a whole slew of lies being launched by the far right,” Newsom campaign spokesperson Nathan Click said in an interview. “It’s part of a multi-platform campaign and longstanding push by him to set the record straight.”

The site, like the previous one that was focused on the fires, solicits donations for recovery efforts in Los Angeles. But it also leans into Newsom’s role as leading messenger for the Democratic party ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run — a perch from which Newsom is fundraising.

“If your online algorithms have ever led you into the far-right internet, you know it is a fact-free environment filled with conspiracy theories and disinformation,” Newsom wrote in a fundraising email Tuesday.

“Stay vigilant,” he urged, “against the lies and falsehoods out there.”