Gavin Newsom labels Marco Rubio a ‘fraud', says JD Vance is more ‘dangerous’ than Trump
WASHINGTON, DC: California Gov Gavin Newsom is intensifying his attacks on rising Republican leaders.
He labeled Marco Rubio a ‘fraud’ and cautioned that VP JD Vance might be even more dangerous than President Donald Trump.
In a recent interview with Jen Psaki about the future of the MAGA movement, Newsom was asked whether figures like Vance and Rubio, who were once critics of Trump, could take over if Trump eventually leaves the scene.
Gavin Newsom slams JD Vance, Marco Rubio
Newsom accused both Vance and Rubio of political opportunism, pointing to their past criticism of Trump before ultimately aligning with him.
“There are some people waiting in the wings in the MAGA world who would love to be the chosen ones of the Trump orbit,” the interviewer noted, naming Vance and Rubio directly. “Do you think they can carry on the MAGA flame here?”
"JD Vance and Marco Rubio were two of the most effective critics of Donald Trump,” Newsom said. “What frauds? What phonies?”
Marco Rubio is a complete fraud. But no one tops JD Vance. Talk about a guy who put a mask on his face and grew into it. Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/fNbTEYJY4z
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 26, 2026
While he grouped the two together, Newsom reserved his strongest language for Vance, calling him “a unique fraud and phony” and suggesting he represents a more ideologically rigid version of Trumpism. “He’s a little more dangerous,” Newsom argued. “And the folks around him, these are not folks who believe.”
He referenced what he called a strain of “nihilism” among some of Vance’s political supporters, claiming he knows several of them from past interactions. “The way they talk about the world. I know these guys, I literally know them, not figuratively know them.”
“No, but Vance for whatever reason scares me.”
Gavin Newsom questions Trump’s 2028 influence
Despite his warnings about Vance, Newsom also made clear he believes Trump is unlikely to quietly step aside from political power.
“Trump's still, you know, you think this guy is going to sit there in the Oval Office waiting for you to ask him a question?” He predicted Trump would attempt to control any succession battle within the GOP. "There's no damn way on Earth. So he's going to try to run this out. It's all right after the end until he can pick and choose who goes behind him.”
The remarks come as speculation rises about the 2028 presidential race, with Newsom often named as a likely Democratic candidate. His readiness to openly challenge Trump and emerging Republican figures signals a broader political strategy.
He is framing the next wave of MAGA leaders as not only politically opposed but also deeply untrustworthy. Newsom even floated the possibility that Trump could seek continued political influence depending on congressional dynamics. “I just wouldn’t put it past him,” he said.
