Jack Cocchiarella, a Democrat social media influencer with over 1.25 million YouTube subscribers who recently appeared on CNN and interviewed California Gov. Gavin Newsom, expressed support on social media for protesters involved in an unruly demonstration at BlackRock headquarters.
Cocchiarella posted on X, “Fuck BlackRock free Palestine it’s that simple,” in response to footage of violent pro-Hamas rioters attempting to storm BlackRock headquarters in New York City.
Cocchiarella, known for his political commentary, appeared on CNN last week, where he described President Donald Trump as “kind of this dementia-addled, really nursing home patient in the White House right now.” During the same exchange, Cocchiarella criticized Trump’s approach to policy negotiations, claiming the president “doesn’t seem interested in negotiating” and instead uses his time “to go out to golf” or “maybe remodel some more parts of the White House,” taking pleasure in “the traumatizing of federal workers.”
Cocchiarella’s claims fall short on the facts. Just six months into his second term, President Trump brokered roughly one peace deal or ceasefire per month, a level of achievement the president Cocchiarella supports could not match in four years. In September 2024, RNC Research reported that President Joe Biden had “spent a total of 532 days (40.3% of his presidency) on vacation.”
Cocchiarella conducted an interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in August, where the two discussed national politics and the Republican Party’s future leadership. Cocchiarella said:
We talk a lot in our party right now about rebranding. We need to fix the brand of the Democratic Party. We do. But I think in this moment, we also have to focus on the brand of the Republican Party. These people don’t want lower taxes, more freedoms. JD Vance doesn’t care about that. JD Vance wants to take his lifestyle and impose it on you and then not live it himself. This guy’s a squish. He’s weak. He’s desperate for power.
Newsom responded by warning “This is not just about Trump. This is about something much more insidious, much more alarming,” urging viewers to “pay attention” to figures like JD Vance and Stephen Miller, “The folks around Trump and those that are perpetuating, promoting Trumpism, and sometimes to your point, running circles around Trump in many respects.” He added, “JD Vance is a unique one, because he’s complete weakness masquerading as strength.”
Cocchiarella’s admiration for Newsom contrasted sharply with the governor’s own record. Gavin Newsom spent $250 million on a special election to gerrymander California’s congressional map while blaming Donald Trump for a lack of wildfire aid, even as displaced residents waited for relief. Newsom called a November 4 special election under the “Election Rigging Response Act” to eliminate Republican seats in Congress, claiming he was “saving democracy” despite questions over the law’s constitutionality. Despite boasting that California’s economy rivals Japan’s, Newsom presides over surging homelessness, rising poverty, and a $68 billion budget deficit that indicate widespread mismanagement within his administration. These examples are far from exhaustive.
The California governor praised Cocchiarella’s growing online platform, saying, “Let’s see the growth of your podcast, bro, what you’re doing with this YouTube channel. It’s like blowing up. That just gives you hope, and it inspires other people.”
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