The governor made the revelations during a recent appearance as a guest co-host on the “Pivot” podcast with journalist Kara Swisher.
He said he launched the initiative to highlight what he called the absurdity of Trump’s online persona, including the President’s frequent use of capital letters and AI-generated images depicting himself as a superhero.
Newsom said the coin, slated to be called “Trump Corruption,” will fund his Campaign for Democracy and redistricting efforts. He added that the project is part satire but reflects deep concerns about the state of U.S. democracy.
He joked that his original idea was to name the coin “Smelt,” a nod to reports about Trump’s personal fragrance. He added that if he decided to mimic the President further, he might even crowdsource names for a perfume line.
The governor also expressed confidence that his meme coin would outperform Trump’s, recalling a previous White House exchange in which Trump bragged about profits from his coin and his wife, Melania’s, venture into the same market.
Newsom said his gloves-off approach emerged after months of attempts to cooperate with Trump’s administration over federal disaster aid. However, he shifted course when Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to back aggressive immigration raids.
He said the moment was a turning point for him and recalled directing his staff to abandon restraint and adopt an unrelenting strategy of public confrontation.
The Democratic governor, who is widely seen as a presumptive presidential candidate, said Americans should expect more trolling and social media barbs in the months ahead.
With the presidential race looming, Newsom’s blend of satire and digital campaigning signaled that the battle between Trump and his Democratic challengers is expanding into new political and financial arenas.
