Gavin Newsom Trolls Trump as 'Patient Zero' of Mental Health Woes as Midterm Fears Rise

Gavin Newsom has executed a masterclass in political judo, turning Donald Trump's favourite rhetorical weapon squarely back on the President as the 2026 midterm battle lines harden.

By coining 'California Derangement Syndrome' (CDS) in a viral social media thread on Friday, the California Governor did more than score a point in a long-running feud; he exposed the increasingly volatile nature of the White House's strategy.

Newsom declared the 79-year-old President to be 'patient zero' of the made-up malady, sparking a high-stakes conversation about mental fitness that is now resonating across both sides of the aisle.

What began as a clever Twitter thread on 16 January has since ballooned into something far more significant: a broader conversation about the sitting President's fitness for office.

Newsom's move signals a calculated shift in how Democratic leaders plan to challenge Trump's narrative in the months ahead. Rather than engaging in traditional debate, they're now using satire as a scalpel to dissect his credibility.

'Patient Zero' of the Diagnosis: How Newsom Flipped Trump's Script

Newsom's X thread declared Trump was 'patient zero' of the made-up malady, playing directly on Trump's repeated use of the term 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' to dismiss his critics.

The Governor's post cleverly pivoted: 'Everyone knows that the President has spread California Derangement Syndrome (CDS) for many years—some say he was even patient zero—but in reality, he loves California, [@CAGovernor] Gavin Newsom, and our world-leading policies! Trump copies our policies on the regular to bring the riches of California to all the American people.'

What made this approach particularly effective was its underlying accuracy. Newsom followed with nine additional posts systematically contrasting California's legislative victories with Trump's promises. CalRx, the Governor noted, had made insulin available for just £8.57—a policy launched in 2023 that puts Trump's recently announced 'TrumpRx' plan for obesity drugs to shame.

'Last month (whilst still failing to introduce his health care plan after 10 years of promising), Trump debuted the SAD TrumpRx plan for his obesity drugs,' Newsom wrote, puncturing the President's boasts about his economic record.

The Governor also reframed Trump's pet project, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as merely a 'cheap imitation' of California's Office of Data and Innovation, established in 2021 with the explicit mission of modernising services and cutting bureaucratic waste. The comparative analysis wasn't an accident—it was forensic.

Mental Health Concerns Take Centre Stage as Trump's Fitness Questions Persist

Yet beneath the satirical thrust lies a far graver subtext. Newsom's diagnosis metaphorically speaks to what many observers have privately suspected: the President's mental fitness is increasingly open to scrutiny. The Governor isn't the first to highlight Trump's recent gaffes. Over recent months, the President has delivered incoherent speeches, suffered notable memory lapses, and been spotted dozing off in multiple meetings. Republicans themselves are beginning to murmur concerns.

The turning point came when Trump made deeply inappropriate comments following the tragic deaths of legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, murdered in what Newsom's offensive remarks attributed to Reiner's supposed 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'—a comment that transcended satire and ventured into the genuinely disturbing.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon called Trump's remarks 'not Presidential', whilst Rep. Mike Lawler branded them 'wrong', describing the Reiners' deaths as 'a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country'.

These reactions reveal something critical: Trump's ability to maintain support even among his own party is beginning to fray. When Republicans publicly rebuke you for comments made about murdered Americans, the political ground has shifted fundamentally. Newsom's timing was therefore shrewd—he struck when Trump was already showing signs of instability.

Where This Narrative Leads

Social media users rallied behind Newsom's gambit, with supporters calling it 'absolutely the best one yet' in reference to his recent pattern of daily takedowns of the President. Yet what matters most isn't the witty riposte itself—it's what it signals about the gathering storm. Newsom has effectively reframed the debate from policy to something far more primal: whether Trump is genuinely capable of governing.

Trump has consistently dismissed health concerns, insisting he's 'sharp as ever' and bragging about passing cognitive examinations. But assertions alone carry little weight when your own behaviour contradicts them. For Newsom, the goal is clear: ensure the 2026 midterms are a referendum not just on the party, but on the 'stability' of the man at the top.