Even if the tweet was an attempt at sarcasm, it highlighted the fact that Jenner’s high-profile entry into an already-cartoonish field of challengers should do nothing but help Newsom survive a recall vote. Her first-time run for office will suck up media attention that might otherwise be focused on Newsom’s record. And by enlisting Trumpworld advisers, including former campaign manager Brad Parscale; deploying email blasts with a Trumpian flavor; and coming down firmly on the conservative side of the culture wars, Jenner’s campaign is strengthening the case Newsom’s team has been making for months: that the recall effort is a hard-right ploy to steal an office California Republicans can’t win in a conventional election. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly two to one in California, with about a quarter of voters unaffiliated; in November, Joe Biden clobbered Donald Trump by 29 points. So Newsom—wisely and obviously—has cast the effort to oust him in starkly partisan terms. “Look at who we rolled out in our first announcement,” says Nathan Click, the Newsom campaign’s communications director. “People like Stacey Abrams and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. These are the leaders of our national Democratic Party. And more locally, Katie Porter and Alex Padilla. Democrats across the ideological and issue spectrum see this recall for what it is, and they’re backing Newsom.” Jenner’s entry, in late April, almost seemed scripted—by her target. “For months Newsom has been calling the recall a Republican power grab and trying to brand it as very Trumpy,” says Michael Trujillo, a California Democratic political strategist. “Which was smart. Now you have Caitlyn basically highlighting all their talking points by hiring a bunch of Trump aides. If you’re Team Newsom, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.”