Gavin Newsom Trolls Trump Over Tariffs, Shares Modi In China Video

India-West News Desk

SACRAMENTO, CA — California Governor Gavin Newsom escalated his criticism of President Donald Trump on September 1, highlighting the deepening ties between India, China, and Russia while mocking Trump’s trade and security policies.

Newsom, who often hilariously trolls Trump in his online posts using a handle styled in the president’s combative tone with misspelt words, name calling and, in all caps, shared a video from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China.

The clip showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin and laughing along with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“But have no doubt — Xi openly rebuked the ‘bullying behavior’ of the U.S.-led world order, in light of the ongoing tariff war and 50 percent tariffs imposed on India,” Newsom wrote on X. “Trump’s tariff policies seem to have backfired with long-term foes, India and China, calling a truce and Modi describing the two most populous countries as ‘partners, not rivals.’”

The SCO summit unfolded as Trump levied some of the steepest tariffs in the world on New Delhi: 25 percent in reciprocal duties and another 25 percent tied to India’s continued imports of Russian oil. Together, they push India’s effective tariff burden to 50 percent — even as Trump has left Beijing largely untouched despite China being Russia’s largest energy customer.

Newsom’s criticism comes as Trump makes little political headway in California, a state he has long targeted rhetorically and politically. Federal courts has just dealt him another setback when a judge ruled his deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles unlawful, further undercutting his claims of authority over the state.

While Trump has widened his attacks to other Democratic-led cities — most recently Chicago — Newsom has framed the president’s actions as shortsighted distractions that fail to address America’s weakening leverage abroad.

“Instead of confronting the strategic reality of India, China, and Russia aligning, Trump is still talking about sending in troops,” Newsom said.