Steve Bannon told the Posse that he isn’t worried about Gavin Newsom’s sudden rise inside the Democrat camp—he’s laughing at it. Why? Because Newsom is trying to cosplay Trump, and in Bannon’s view, the Left’s "America First knockoff” act exposes their weakness, not their strength.
Bannon opened his Wednesday WarRoom with a point most people missed: Democrats are desperate for a fighter. Their bench is weak, their policies are collapsing, their media megaphones are fading, and their grassroots energy is nowhere to be found. Enter Gavin Newsom—the governor who can’t keep California’s streets clean but suddenly wants to play Donald Trump on social media.
"He’s trying to mimic Trump,” Bannon said flatly. "It’s a parody.”
Quick Clip:
BANNON: Texas "conservatives” are wetting themselves over "rules and regulations" while Democrats run the table. Stop hiding and do your job. Abbott said 10 seats. Deliver 10 seats. pic.twitter.com/WR8YsBkuSK
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) August 20, 2025
And he’s right. Watch the tweets, the tough-guy posturing, the little jabs that try to sound like they carry some weight. It’s pure cosplay. Newsom wants to look like a fighter because Democrats don’t have any. The irony? Every time he leans into that role, it proves just how much Trump has redefined the entire political landscape. Even his opponents are forced to play by his rules.
That’s the heart of Bannon’s point. America First is the new gravitational center. If you want to be relevant in American politics—Republican or Democrat—you either align with it or fake your way into looking like you do. But the fakes can’t keep it up for long.
Bannon compared it to a "barbell act.” On one side, you’ve got the real America First muscle: the grassroots movement, Trump in the White House, and populist fighters who don’t blink. On the other, you’ve got a polished California governor who wants to flex but doesn’t have the strength to lift anything heavier than a talking point.
The timing matters too. With 2026 around the corner—the mid-decade census, redistricting fights, and control of Congress on the line—Bannon is pressing Republicans not to act like gentlemen in a knife fight. Democrats never play by Robert’s Rules of Order, he reminded listeners, so why should conservatives?
But the bigger takeaway here is what it says about the battlefield itself. America First isn’t just one faction anymore—it’s the standard. Newsom trying to wear the Trump mask is proof of that. He can posture all he wants, but California’s failures follow him everywhere: sky-high costs of living, collapsing public safety, and a mass exodus of working families.
Bannon’s edge cut through: if Democrats want to imitate Trump, let them. Because imitation isn’t strength—it’s surrender. It shows the Left can’t find its own fighter, can’t defend its record, and can’t win without copying the very movement they’ve spent years demonizing.
And that’s the real "signal” Bannon told his audience to watch for: America First has won the argument. The other side is just trying to steal the uniform.
For more context, watch this Wednesday WarRoom segment:
