Gavin Newsom’s counterpunching against Trump serves as a master class in flipping the script – and boosting his own profile

Just when you thought Donald Trump was parody-proof, Gavin Newsom comes along to prove you wrong.

Unhinged all-caps tweets with nonsensical punctuation? Insulting nicknames for political enemies? Self-promotional merchandise for sale?

This will all sound familiar unless you have been living in a bubble for the past decade. But if the description conjures an orange-toned Republican in a golf cart – a wannabe dictator in a red tie down to his hefty thighs – your system needs an update.

Because it turns out that Trump is not the only one who can play that game.