Live by the random rumors, die by the random rumors.

As you probably know, President Donald Trump spent the last few days of semi-official summer laying low — so the left began to spread rumors that he was dead.

It even got to the point where Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the would-have-been Democratic vice president were Kamala Harris in any way electable, cracked some innuendo about it during a public appearance. “I will say this,” Walz said at a Labor Day event, “the last few days, you woke up thinking there might be news.

“Just saying. There will be news sometime, just so you know. There will be news.”

Governor Walz over the weekend discussing the possibility of Trumps death and implying “There will be news.” pic.twitter.com/L6Gn2YDvoG

— MN Republicans Northland Edition (@MNHD3BGOP) September 2, 2025

Yes, even Cap’n Couch himself decided to get in on the big lie regarding Trump’s health — which was promptly disproved by his appearance in public. Even the media seems to have forgotten that this was a serious talk among those on the left, prompting many on the social media right to question why they didn’t seem to be interested in disinformation from their side:

Over the weekend, liberals on Reddit argued for days straight about how Trump was actually dead. Why are people like this?

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 3, 2025

So, hey — how about the fact that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the man many have as the Democrats’ favorite in 2028, also hasn’t been seen and has a history of, ahem, problems?

???? What is Gavin Newsom On?

At least The Times of India acknowledges it.

Newscum has been in rehab at least once that was admitted publicly after caught screwing his best friend and campaign manager’s wife, but behind the cameras, insiders admit it has been an ongoing challenge… pic.twitter.com/0Ryw1wKoTd

— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) September 1, 2025

Is Gavin Newsom in rehab? https://t.co/KC2iFmwP5F

— Intel Report Daily (@TruthNinja316) September 3, 2025

California governor Gavin Newsom hasn’t been seen or heard from in several days.

Word on the street is he checked himself into rehab again. What a mess. ???? pic.twitter.com/K789RxZFaA

— DK???????????????????? (@1Nicdar) September 4, 2025

See, the thing is, there’s more of a history on Newsom’s side — something that voters in 2028 might want to be aware of.

Back in 2007, when he was mayor of San Francisco, Newsom got himself into what the British might call a spot of bother: He had a sexual affair with the wife of his campaign manager. The campaign manager also, unhelpfully for Newsom, happened to be his best friend. His wife, also unhelpfully for Newsom, was reportedly struggling with mental health issues at the time.

So, Newsom said he was going to rehab — sorta. He said he would seek outpatient treatment, although he was rather cagey about what that implied.

“My problems with alcohol are not an excuse for my personal lapses in judgment,” Newsom said via a 2007 statement. “Upon reflection with friends and family this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I will be a better person without alcohol in my life.”

And, indeed, he probably would be: In its report saying that Newsom would be attending an outpatient program, The San Francisco Examiner noted, “Tongues have also wagged as frequent reports surfaced that the mayor spends his evenings in various states of intoxication at San Francisco establishments, including Kokkari Estiatorio Restaurant in the Financial District, the Brazenhead in the Marina, Tosca Café in North Beach and restaurants once owned by Newsom, including the Balboa Café and PlumpJack.” When the media has a specific list of where you were allegedly getting faded, yeah, I’d say it’s an issue.

Except when he was running for governor in 2018, he said there was never any such stint in rehab, noting he’d successfully returned to moderate drinking.

“Sometimes people make mistakes in their lives, and you then work hard never to make them again, because you learn from them. I’ve never made them again, and I’ve learned from it, and it led ultimately to falling in love with Jen,” he said, according to The Sacramento Bee, referring to his now-wife.

Of course, it doesn’t help things that, during the worst day of the Los Angeles Riots earlier this year, Newsom was at a “luxury wine-tasting” event — a miscue that echoes the Examiner’s report that a San Francisco supervisor was reportedly surprised to find Newsom “slightly intoxicated” when he arrived at the hospital after a police officer had been fatally wounded in the line of duty in December 2006.

So, what is it now? Alcohol? Drugs? Addicted to trolling Donald Trump, quite unsuccessfully? Cannibalism? All of the above?

Look, if it’s OK for Tim Walz to speculate about whether Trump is dead or not because he wasn’t in the spotlight for a few days at the end of summer, I think it’s OK for us to speculate on whether or not a man who desperately wants to be president is fit by reminding people that, not too long ago, he feigned rehab to get out of a rash of personal issues. It’s wonderful to see the reaction on social media, too, because back in the McCain/Romney days, the Republicans used to go too high while the Democrats said they went high while they were going beyond low.

Before Trump, Rush Limbaugh was the only one who would take the gloves off. Now, thanks to Trump, so many of the good guys are playing by the street rules that Democrats have played by for years.

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