THE CULTURE WAR BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE MEDIA AND LIBERAL POLITICIANS HAS FOUND ITS SHARPEST EDGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE EVERY TWEET IS A POTENTIAL BATTLEFIELD AND EVERY RATIO IS A VICTORY DANCE. THIS WEEK, THAT WAR TOOK A SPECTACULAR TURN AS FOX NEWS HOST TOMMY LAUREN FACED A SERIES OF PUBLIC HUMILIATIONS AT THE HANDS OF CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM’S PRESS OFFICE—AND THE INTERNET CAN’T STOP LAUGHING.

The Rise of Political Trolling: How Twitter Became a Weapon

In the era of digital politics, the battleground has shifted from televised debates and campaign rallies to the unfiltered chaos of Twitter. No longer are politicians and pundits separated by the decorum of traditional media; instead, they spar in real time, with millions watching, liking, and retweeting every blow. For years, right-wing commentators like Tommy Lauren have wielded this weapon with brutal efficiency, launching attacks on their liberal counterparts and reveling in the outrage they provoke.

But something has changed. The Democrats, long accused of being “too soft” or “too polite” for the digital age, have begun to fight fire with fire. Leading the charge is Gavin Newsom, whose press office

Twitter account has become a relentless engine of mockery, sarcasm, and viral ratioing. The result? Conservative influencers, once confident in their ability to dominate online discourse, are finding themselves on the receiving end of the very tactics they perfected.

Tommy Lauren: From Fearless to Flustered

Tommy Lauren is no stranger to controversy. As one of Fox News’s most recognizable MAGA voices, she built her brand on fearless, sometimes ruthless, commentary. Her podcast, “Tommy Lauren is Fearless,” is a testament to her willingness to say what others won’t, to take on liberals, and to never back down. But this week, Lauren’s bravado met its match in the form of Gavin Newsom’s press office—and the fallout was nothing short of spectacular.

It started with a seemingly innocuous Twitter exchange. Newsom’s press office responded to a viral meme comparing Gavin Newsom to Donald Trump Jr., quipping, “Ah, tough choice. One now leads the world’s fourth largest economy. The other sells cell phones.” The jab was clear: Newsom, as governor of California, sits atop one of the world’s most powerful economies, while Trump Jr.’s most notable recent venture is hawking MAGA-branded phones.

Lauren, never one to let a liberal zinger go unanswered, fired back: “One of them has been president twice, and one of them will never be president ever.” It was meant to be a knockout blow, a reminder of Trump’s dominance. But there was just one problem—Trump Jr. has never been president. The mistake was glaring, and the internet pounced.

The Anatomy of a Viral Humiliation

Within minutes, screenshots of Lauren’s tweet began circulating. Commentators mocked her for the blunder, with sarcastic posts highlighting her “lifelong struggle with literacy.” The ratio was brutal: thousands of likes and retweets for the mockery, while Lauren’s original post languished. And then, in a move rarely seen among MAGA influencers, Lauren deleted the tweet—an act of digital surrender that sent shockwaves through right-wing Twitter.

Why is this significant? Because MAGA personalities like Lauren are famous for their shamelessness. Deleting a tweet is seen as a sign of weakness, an admission of defeat. For Lauren to quietly erase her mistake spoke volumes about the depth of her embarrassment—and about the effectiveness of Newsom’s trolling strategy.

The Press Office That Won’t Back Down

But the humiliation didn’t end there. Lauren continued to pick fights with Newsom’s press office, only to be met with even sharper mockery and more devastating ratios. In one exchange, she accused the account of “unlocking new lows” by trolling a gay conservative activist, Scott Presler, and comparing him to Nancy Mace—a controversial congresswoman known for her dramatic outbursts.

Newsom’s press office responded with the same rhetorical flair: “You sound woke.” The tweet quickly racked up tens of thousands of likes, dwarfing Lauren’s own engagement and further cementing the press office’s reputation as a master of online banter. The message was clear: the era of one-sided conservative trolling is over. Democrats, at least in California, have learned how to play the game—and they’re winning.