Trump and Newsom Share Awkward Tarmac Moment Amid Fire Tour Fallout
Donald Trump greets the crowd during a campaign rally in Georgia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The nation’s eyes were fixed on California as Governor Gavin Newsom greeted President Donald Trump on the tarmac Friday afternoon, ahead of the president’s visit to survey the destruction caused by the Los Angeles wildfires. Despite a history of public animosity—Trump has frequently derided the California governor as “Newscum”—the two leaders maintained a polite demeanor for the cameras.
Their brief encounter featured a traditional power handshake, a short exchange of words, and a joint address to reporters before taking questions. The moment marked a rare instance of civility between the two, but the backdrop of their fraught relationship and Trump’s recent threats to withhold federal aid from California if the state doesn’t implement a voter ID law loomed large.
While the meeting itself was significant, social media was quick to focus on the body language and optics of the tarmac greeting. Critics seized on what they described as Trump appearing to “cower” in front of Newsom, sparking a flurry of reactions online.
“Trump cowers to Newsom. Of course,” wrote Mike Madrid, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, on X. In a follow-up post, Madrid added, “Trump goes full beta male cowering to Gavin Newsom on the tarmac. Weak.”
Others echoed this sentiment, noting the stark contrast between Trump’s past insults and the measured reception from Newsom. Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan remarked, “The asymmetry of our politics – Trump can heap vicious personal abuse on Newsom (‘Newscum’), but Newsom has to be the bigger person and welcome Trump to his state with grace and civility.”
S.V. Dáte, White House correspondent at HuffPost, responded to Hasan by writing, “EVERYBODY treats Trump like a toddler.” Attorney and former Trump campaign advisor A.J. Delgado weighed in, critiquing the dynamics of the interaction. “Ouch. I’ve always thought Trump is sort of alpha-ish but, no.
Look at the way Newsom completely takes over the conversation immediately, and Trump is just defensive/reacting/listening, instantly in his place. Wow,” she observed. On Bluesky, artist Candee Corliss took a jab at Trump’s physical stance, writing, “Donald Trump doing his weird lean with Gavin Newsom. Methinks Donald isn’t well.”
The meeting highlighted the tension between the two political figures and offered a stark reminder of the polarized state of U.S. politics. While Newsom extended civility in the wake of a disaster, Trump’s contentious history with California continues to color interactions, both in policy and public perception. For now, their brief truce remains overshadowed by the online dissection of their every move.
