California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a bold series of online posts targeting President Donald Trump after the release of nearly 20,000 pages of email correspondence linked to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. These documents included a message in which Epstein claimed Trump had “spent hours” at his home with one of his victims and “knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine Maxwell to stop.”
Soon after the documents became public, Newsom’s press office shared an edited photo on X (formerly Twitter). The picture replaced Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame” colonnade sign with the words “I am a pedo.” The post spread quickly because of its harsh tone and bold imagery.
A second post showed an AI-generated cartoon of Trump and Epstein sitting together on an island, humorously labeled the “Island Boys.” The cartoon was designed to mock their past friendship and spark conversation during the online frenzy surrounding the new documents.
Newsom also targeted the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against California’s Proposition 50. He tied the lawsuit to Trump’s past statements about Epstein, writing: “When Trump’s hand-picked hacks at DOJ can’t tell California from North Carolina, you know the lawsuit is about as credible as Trump’s ‘I don’t know Epstein’ line.”
What the Documents and Posts Reveal
The newly released documents reportedly contained an email from Epstein describing Trump’s time at his home. In the message, Epstein claimed Trump “spent hours” with one of the victims and “knew about the girls.” Despite this claim, Trump did not send or receive any of the emails included in the latest release. He has also not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell.
Newsom continued his rapid posting spree with a message directed at Vice President JD Vance. He shared a screenshot of a news article about the Epstein emails and wrote: “Color me shocked. Any comment, @JDVance?” This added more attention to the growing online discussion.
Another post showed a group of MAGA influencers holding binders reportedly filled with Epstein-related files. Newsom added the caption: “Anyone check on these ‘influencers’ this morning? Pretty big day for the ‘issue’ they’re most passionate about.” The message was aimed at highlighting their past claims and interest in the Epstein case.
The posts were short, sharp, and designed to go viral. They used a mix of humor, sarcasm, and strong visuals. Political analysts noted that Newsom’s approach matched the fast-moving, high-impact style often used in online political fights. His aggressive tone stood out, drawing national attention and quickly spreading across social media platforms.
Leaked Epstein emails claim he “coached” Russian diplomats on how to handle Trump
Background on Trump’s Relationship With Epstein
President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were friends for more than a decade during the 1990s and 2000s. Epstein once told Trump biographer Michael Wolff that he had been “Donald’s closest friend for ten years.” Their relationship eventually fell apart before Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Some of the newly reported emails show Epstein expressing negative opinions about Trump after their friendship ended. In one 2017 email, Epstein wrote that there was “not one decent cell in [Trump’s] body.” In another message from 2018, he described Trump as a “maniac” and even questioned whether Trump might be showing early signs of dementia.
Even though Epstein made those claims, Trump faces no charges related to the newly surfaced material. The documents simply added more controversy to the long-known history between the two men. The timing of the release, paired with Newsom’s attention-grabbing posts, pushed the topic back into the political spotlight.
Newsom’s posts drew major reactions because they mixed the sensitive nature of the Epstein files with aggressive humor. The edited colonnade photo, the cartoon “Island Boys” image, and the comments aimed at JD Vance and MAGA supporters all contributed to a large wave of online debate. These posts came at a moment when the document release had already triggered intense public interest, making Newsom’s messages spread even faster.
