Gov. Gavin Newsom has been positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run for quite some time now, but his recent antics have me questioning whether he's actually serious about it anymore. Between his glaring failures as governor and his increasingly bizarre social media behavior, the California Democrat seems to be doing everything possible to torpedo any credibility he might have had with voters outside his deep-blue bubble.
Personally, I think Newsom's track record as governor already presents serious problems for any national campaign. His handling of the Palisades fire has been downright scandalous. His legacy on homelessness is humiliating. But even worse are his radical positions on gender issues and his transparent attempts to rebrand himself as a moderate, and you've got a candidate with some serious baggage. On top of all that, his recent push for a retroactive tax on California billionaires who have already left the state won’t help him, either.
But recent polling shows Newsom is a genuine contender for the Democratic Party nomination, and for months now, he has been leveraging his social media presence to boost his national profile. But his latest stunt seems designed to accomplish the exact opposite of what any serious presidential candidate would want.
By now, you’ve probably seen the viral photo of Newsom at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where cameras caught him sitting in what can only be described as an extremely uncomfortable cross-legged position for any man.
The internet naturally had a field day with what quickly became known as his "testicle-crushing" sitting pose.
Internet goes nuts over Gavin Newsom’s odd ‘testicle-crushing’ sitting pose https://t.co/WY2tU8x1kE pic.twitter.com/NOMtDRn6Q1
— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2025
I suppose it’s possible that Newsom is transitioning.
Rather than letting the viral mockery fade into internet oblivion, Newsom's press office decided to double down in the most cringeworthy way possible. They posted an AI-altered version of the image showing Newsom with his legs raised and his arms threaded through them in an awkward, contorted yoga-like pose.
As if that weren't bizarre enough, Newsom himself retweeted the image.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 6, 2025
The whole episode raises serious questions about the judgment of both Newsom and his team. When you're being mocked for looking ridiculous, the standard political playbook says you ignore it and move on. Instead, Newsom's office apparently thought the best response was to create an even more ridiculous image and share it with millions of people.
Naturally, the mockery of Newsom on social media continued and probably will for a while. The internet never forgets, and we’ll undoubtedly see this image again when he’s officially a candidate.
That is, if he’s still seriously trying. After posting that image, I’m not so sure. It’s hard to view him as a serious presidential contender when he posts images like that and thinks it’s a flex. Presidential candidates are supposed to project strength, competence, and dignity... and maybe even a hint of self-respect.
