Gavin Newsom And Arnold Schwarzenegger Are Locked In A Bitter Battle Of The Governors

California Governor Gavin Newsom has thrown caution to the wind. Not only has Newsom started doling out nicknames that are giving even Donald Trump a run for his money, but the outspoken politician has also adopted the president's inimitable social media style, penning scathing, all-CAPS tweets that left MAGA in a total upheaval (ironic, since it follows their leader to a T). Newsom is fighting fire with fire, and when Republicans made their plans about redrawing Texas' district maps to favor the GOP in the coming election known, the California governor announced that he'd be doing some gerrymandering of his own. Newsom's initiative is called "Yes on 50," and even Former President Barack Obama voiced his support for it, urging constituents to vote "yes" in November 2025. 

Someone who's not happy with Newsom giving Trump a taste of his own medicine is his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The action star served as California's governor between 2003 and 2011, and Schwarzenegger has made it crystal clear that he's against any sort of gerrymandering, regardless of what the Republicans might be doing. He shared his feelings in a not-so-subtle post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in August 2025, posting a snap of himself proudly wearing a T-shirt that read: "F**k the politicians. Terminate gerrymandering." Newsom apparently clapped back in a post of his own a few days later, which featured a meme showing Schwarzenegger's former "Twins" co-star, Danny DeVito, endorsing "Yes on 50." The actor did indeed contribute $1,000 to the campaign.

Schwarzenegger has made it clear he will do everything in his power to convince people to vote against Newsom's gerrymandering campaign, even if it means Trump wins. The actor passed legislation during his tenure to prevent it, instead assigning the responsibility to an independent commission, which Newsom wants to bypass.

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, his opposition to Gavin Newsom's gerrymandering campaign is "nothing personal." As the actor explained to the New York Times, "He was kind enough to let me know what he's up to and how he feels. I told him: 'I totally get it. I understand it.' I said, 'There's no effect on our relationship.'" But the "Batman & Robin" star is still going to voice his opposition as loudly as possible regardless. Newsom argued that the redistricting will only be temporary but Schwarzenegger called that assertion a "total fantasy" during an appearance on CNN, per the New York Post, warning, "They will find an excuse. So therefore I don't think it is temporary." The governor's response to opposition: "Spare me the moral high ground."

It's worth noting that, while Newsom has used his new social media strategy to brutally humble the likes of JD Vance with his scathing tweets, he hasn't taken the same approach to Schwarzenegger's criticism. The two do agree on one thing: Donald Trump isn't good for the country. Despite being a Republican, the action star endorsed Former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, denouncing her opponent's antics in the process. "Rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets," Schwarzenegger penned on X.

The "Commando" star then proceeded to make an eerily accurate prediction: "It will just be four more years of bulls**t with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful." Newsom notably echoed this sentiment during an October 2025 interview with "CBS News Sunday Morning," arguing, "He [Trump] is an invasive species for California, for the country, for the world. He's a wrecking ball. He's wrecking alliances, truth, trust, traditions, [and] institutions."