Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo has found himself on the opposite side of another major political battle, this time targeting California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Avengers star is publicly questioning Newsom’s fitness for higher office, but his latest crusade also highlights an uncomfortable reality for celebrity activists: Their political endorsements and protests don’t necessarily translate into meaningful results.
Ruffalo, a longtime progressive activist and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has intensified his criticism of Newsom over the governor’s opposition to California’s proposed billionaire wealth tax.
The actor declared Newsom’s position “disqualifying” for someone seeking higher office, a particularly pointed criticism of a politician widely discussed as a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.
Yet Ruffalo’s recent political track record raises an obvious question. Why should Newsom be particularly concerned about losing the support of an actor whose high-profile political campaigns have repeatedly failed to achieve their desired outcomes?
Ruffalo’s Latest Political Target Is a Fellow Democrat
The controversy involves California’s competing November ballot initiatives, Propositions 40 and 42.
Proposition 40 would establish a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires, with much of the anticipated revenue directed toward healthcare programs.
Newsom opposes that initiative and has endorsed Proposition 42, which would restrict California’s ability to impose new taxes on financial assets and other personal property.
Supporters of Proposition 42 argue that the measure would protect retirement savings and discourage wealthy residents from leaving California. Critics contend that it primarily benefits billionaires while limiting the state’s future taxation options.
Ruffalo has embraced the latter argument.
It’s beyond sad. It’s beyond disappointing; at this point, it’s disqualifying for anyone with ambitions for higher office as a Democrat, or a Republican, for that matter, to be fighting to keep billionaires from being taxed while kids don’t have health insurance and the cost of living goes sky-high.
These billionaires are also the ones hellbent on replacing entire workforces with the AI they are developing with our tax dollars (watch the “Musk” doc). We are also living through the largest wealth gap in modern history. At this point, the only way to balance out the economic forces that have bought our politicians and keep rigging the game against working people is through taxes.
Let’s hope Gavin gets some sense and walks this back. It’s crazy that this is what he chooses to spend his political capital, and part of his legacy, doing. He vetoed the bill that would have put a “kill switch” on AI for our protection. He vetoed a bill that would have gotten forever chemicals out of cookware. Time and time again, he goes with corporate interests over the well-being of the people, even after his own bipartisan legislature votes for something.
And here we go again.
Gavin, we aren’t looking for the Democratic version of Trump. That was a good goof. Please try something else. It’s tired.
The people need a champion, man. A real, bona fide champion who isn’t just tough in tweets or press conferences, but tough when it comes to the real imbalances people are struggling with every day: billionaires vs. people and the planet.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 16, 2026
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In an October 16 social media post responding to Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, Ruffalo accused Newsom of putting wealthy interests ahead of ordinary Californians.
“It’s beyond sad. It’s beyond disappointing,” Ruffalo wrote. “It’s disqualifying for anyone with ambitions for higher office as a Democrat, or a Republican, for that matter, to be fighting to keep billionaires from being taxed while kids don’t have health insurance and the cost of living goes sky-high.”
The actor also criticized Newsom’s handling of artificial intelligence regulations and environmental legislation.
“These billionaires are also the ones hellbent on replacing entire workforces with the AI they are developing with our tax dollars (watch the “Musk” doc),” he said. “We are also living through the largest wealth gap in modern history. At this point, the only way to balance out the economic forces that have bought our politicians and keep rigging the game against working people is through taxes.”
Mark Ruffalo being interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel – Youtube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Perhaps his sharpest criticism came when he compared Newsom’s political approach to that of President Trump.
“Gavin, we aren’t looking for the Democratic version of Trump,” Ruffalo wrote. “That was a good goof. Please try something else. It’s tired.”
The statement illustrates how quickly political alliances can fracture when progressive activists discover that Democratic politicians don’t necessarily share every one of their priorities.
Ruffalo’s Avengers Endorsement Could Not Save Kamala Harris
Ruffalo’s political activism is nothing new. During the 2024 presidential election, he joined several former Marvel Cinematic Universe costars in an elaborate celebrity endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
The campaign video reunited Ruffalo with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, and Danai Gurira.
The actors attempted to recreate some of the camaraderie associated with Marvel’s blockbuster Avengers franchise while encouraging Americans to vote for Harris.
It was precisely the kind of Hollywood spectacle Democrats have frequently embraced: recognizable celebrities, familiar entertainment franchises, and an assumption that star power could help motivate voters.
The cast of The Avengers staged a Zoom call in support of Kamala Harris for U.S. President – YouTube, SkyNews Australia
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It didn’t deliver the desired outcome.
Harris lost the presidential election to Trump in a landslide, despite receiving support from an extraordinary collection of entertainment industry celebrities.
That defeat demonstrates the limitations of celebrity campaigning when confronted with broader political and economic concerns.
The fact that millions of Americans enjoyed (or at least tolerated…) watching Ruffalo portray Bruce Banner and the Hulk never guaranteed that they would embrace his preferred presidential candidate.
Paramount Merger Proved Another Setback for Ruffalo
The actor experienced another political disappointment earlier this month when Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ruffalo had become one of the most recognizable celebrity opponents of the approximately $111 billion transaction.
He argued that the merger threatened jobs, creative independence, and competition within Hollywood. But when California officials negotiated a settlement allowing the deal to proceed, Ruffalo blamed Newsom.
As That Park Place previously reported, the actor accused the governor of delivering a victory to Trump and his wealthy allies.
Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo – YouTube, The Graham Norton Show
Ruffalo continued opposing the transaction even after a federal judge approved the settlement.
But the merger closed anyway.
His objections were part of a broader opposition campaign involving labor concerns, antitrust arguments, and questions about media consolidation. Those issues were not necessarily without merit simply because the transaction proceeded.
Nevertheless, Ruffalo’s celebrity status and public campaigning were insufficient to stop the deal.
The actor has now explicitly connected that disappointment to his latest criticism of Newsom, accusing the governor of repeatedly favoring billionaires.
Hollywood’s Political Power Has Its Limits
The larger question is whether Ruffalo’s latest condemnation will have any meaningful consequences for Newsom.
The governor faces legitimate political disagreements over California’s proposed wealth tax. Supporters believe it could provide additional resources for essential services, while opponents fear it could accelerate the departure of wealthy taxpayers and undermine future state revenues.
Ruffalo is certainly entitled to criticize elected officials, including members of his preferred political party. His willingness to challenge Newsom also demonstrates that his activism is not limited to criticizing Republicans.
But there’s a difference between attracting headlines and changing political outcomes.
Mark Ruffalo speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Thor: Ragnarok” Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Ruffalo helped promote Harris. She lost. He publicly campaigned against the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. It closed. Now he is attempting to pressure Newsom into abandoning his opposition to California’s billionaire tax.
Whether that effort succeeds remains to be seen.
For an entertainment industry that has long treated celebrity political endorsements as powerful cultural statements, Ruffalo’s recent experiences offer a reminder that popularity on the big screen does not automatically translate into political influence.
And for Newsom, the question may not be whether he can afford to lose Ruffalo’s endorsement, but whether that endorsement would have made much difference in the first place.
How do you feel about Mark Ruffalo attacking Gavin Newsom? Sound off and let us know!
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