Gavin Newsom’s unrelenting attack dog turns on Pete Buttigieg as the Democratic knife fight starts two years early
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
A row has broken out within the Democratic Party more than two years before the 2028 presidential race, after Gavin Newsom's communications director, Izzy Gardon, mocked Pete Buttigieg for visiting South Carolina for what he sarcastically called the "first time in three years". The jibe, aimed at the former transportation secretary's trip to Orangeburg, drew sharp criticism from Democratic strategists, including two former Buttigieg staffers, who warned that aides sniping at rival potential 2028 candidates so early reflects badly on their bosses and risks souring relations within the party. Gardon later insisted the remark was posted from his personal account and did not represent an official statement from Newsom's office.
Buttigieg's visit mattered because South Carolina hosts the first-in-the-South Democratic primary and is seen as crucial for building support among Black voters, a group his 2020 campaign struggled to win over; he has since said he is "more inclined than not" to run again in 2028. Gardon has built a reputation for shaping Newsom's combative, Trump-style social media presence through shock tactics and taunts. Despite the early jockeying, polling from RealClearPolitics put Kamala Harris well ahead of the field at 37.4%, with Newsom on 16.4%, Buttigieg on 11.6% and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on 9.4%.
- Newsom aide Izzy Gardon mocked Buttigieg's South Carolina visit online
- Democratic strategists criticised the jab as premature and damaging
- Harris leads early 2028 polling, ahead of Newsom, Buttigieg and AOC
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Behind Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, sits a communications team known for aggressive, combative social media messaging. Pete Buttigieg is a former US transportation secretary and 2020 presidential candidate who has struggled in the past to win over Black voters. Both men are widely viewed as likely contenders for the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nomination, alongside figures such as Kamala Harris and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, even though the actual race is still years away.
South Carolina matters in this context because it traditionally holds the first Democratic primary contest in the southern United States, giving it outsized influence in choosing the party's eventual nominee. Its electorate includes a significant number of Black voters, a group Buttigieg has been working to build stronger support with ahead of any future campaign. Public outreach there, such as visits or events with organisations like the NAACP, is often read by political observers as an early signal of presidential ambitions.
Sparring between staff of potential rivals, rather than the candidates themselves, is a recurring feature of pre-campaign positioning in American politics. Such exchanges can shape early perceptions of candidates and their teams long before any formal campaign begins, and are watched closely by party strategists concerned about internal unity heading into a future election.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of Newsom's sharper-elbowed approach argue that Democratic politics has for too long rewarded caution and civility even as opponents played by rougher rules, and that a communications team willing to needle rivals shows the kind of fighting spirit many primary voters say they want. They contend that pointing out a genuine gap in Buttigieg's engagement with South Carolina, a state central to Democratic primary politics, is fair scrutiny of a likely rival's record rather than mere name-calling, and that early jabs are a normal part of a long campaign rather than a betrayal of party unity.
The case against
Critics, including party strategists, argue that staffers publicly mocking potential rivals more than two years before any primary is needlessly divisive and reflects poorly on the principals they serve, regardless of disclaimers that a remark came from a personal account. They value party cohesion and worry that normalising internal attacks this early risks alienating voters, donors and fellow Democrats whose cooperation will be needed to beat Republicans in 2028, and that energy spent on intra-party point-scoring would be better directed at substantive outreach and policy contrasts with the opposing party.
Full account
A row between senior aides to two of the Democratic Party's most closely watched potential 2028 presidential contenders has broken out more than two years before polling day, underlining how quickly positioning for the next race for the White House is already under way. The flashpoint was a visit by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he met members of the local NAACP branch. His communications director, Aida Ross, shared a photograph of the visit on X, describing it as a great night with the Orangeburg branch. The post drew a sharp, sarcastic reply from Izzy Gardon, communications director to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who wrote: 'First time in SC in 3 years? Nice!' The remark was widely read as a dig at Buttigieg for supposedly neglecting the state, which holds the Democratic Party's first-in-the-South primary contest and is seen as pivotal to building support among Black voters ahead of 2028.
The exchange quickly attracted attention and criticism from figures across the political spectrum. Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth, who has previously worked for Buttigieg, said staffers who denigrate other potential 2028 candidates at this early stage 'should be embarrassed' and that such behaviour 'reflects extremely poorly on their principals.' Former Buttigieg aide Stefan Smith urged potential 2028 staff to avoid public sniping altogether, arguing that restraint from both aides and candidates would serve everyone better this far out from the election. Other commentators were similarly unimpressed: one social media user said the episode made them think less of Newsom, while Republican strategist Matt Whitlock mocked Newsom's and Buttigieg's teams for jostling to catch up with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in early 2028 polling, and Democratic consultant Eric Koch called it simply a 'bad look.'
Gardon moved swiftly to distance the comment from his boss, telling reporters that the post had come from his personal account and reflected his personal capacity only, not any official position from the governor's office. He stressed he was not speaking for Newsom or anyone else, describing the remark as 'simply my own observation.' Gardon has become a prominent figure in shaping Newsom's assertive online persona in recent times, having helped build a social media operation known for combative, attention-grabbing tactics, including capitalised taunts, mockery and rapid rebuttals aimed at provoking reaction, often styled in a manner reminiscent of the president's own approach to social media.
The spat also touched on a broader and more sensitive debate within the Democratic Party about its outreach to Black voters and the American South. It emerged against a backdrop of recent friction, including Atlanta's Mayor Andre Dickens accusing the Democratic National Committee of 'abandoning' the South and Black voters after the city was dropped from contention to host the 2028 convention, and South Carolina's state party chair, Christale Spain, insisting the South represents the party's future rather than its past. Democratic chairs from several other southern states have likewise cautioned the DNC against taking Black voters' loyalty for granted. With Kamala Harris currently leading early polling for the 2028 nomination, trailed by Newsom, Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez according to RealClearPolitics averages, the episode has been seen as an early sign that rivalries among potential contenders' teams may surface well before formal campaigning begins.
Where outlets differ
The Daily Mail places more emphasis on the wider reaction and backlash from Democratic strategists and social media users, and includes current 2028 primary polling figures (Harris, Newsom, Buttigieg, Ocasio-Cortez) plus detail on Gardon's role in building Newsom's combative online persona.
Fox News Digital gives more context on the broader Democratic debate over Black voter outreach and the South, citing Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens's criticism of the DNC, South Carolina party chair Christale Spain's comments, and warnings from other southern state chairs — details largely absent from the Daily Mail account.
Fox News Digital includes additional reactions not in the Mail's account, such as comments from Republican strategist Matt Whitlock and Democratic consultant Eric Koch, framing the episode partly through a partisan lens of Democrats' internal 2028 jockeying.
Both outlets quote Gardon's denial and Holdsworth's criticism similarly, but the Mail attributes its report to Gardon speaking to the Daily Mail, while Fox attributes its quotes to Gardon speaking to Fox News Digital — reflecting separate interviews with each outlet.
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