California Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to mimic President Donald Trump’s combative, all-caps social-media style is sharply increasing his national visibility ahead of the 2028 presidential race. CNN data show the press-office account linked to the governor has expanded its follower base by 450% since June, while Politico reports he has added nearly 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X and Substack this year. Google searches for his name are up 1,300% since 1 June. The burst of attention is being reflected in prediction markets. Polymarket now assigns Newsom a 30% chance of winning the 2028 Democratic nomination, while rival market Kalshi puts the probability at 24%, ahead of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pete Buttigieg. The climb has come despite on-air criticism from MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” which called the governor’s Trump impersonations an “embarrassment.” At the same time, Newsom is pressing a mid-decade redistricting initiative that would be decided in a 4 Nov. 2025 statewide referendum. An internal survey by longtime pollster David Binder indicates 57% of California voters support the proposal, with 35% opposed. The plan, which still requires legislative referral to the ballot, could create up to five additional Democratic-leaning U.S. House seats and would apply to elections through 2030 before control reverts to the state’s independent commission. Republicans and some California Democrats have denounced the measure as partisan gerrymandering, and GOP lawmakers have threatened procedural delays. Nonetheless, the early polling advantage combined with Newsom’s heightened national profile underscores the governor’s increasingly assertive effort to frame himself as the Democratic Party’s leading counterpuncher to Trump ahead of 2028.