The California governor continued to troll the Trump administration on social media after the president posted racist AI videos
By Meredith Kile
California Gov. Gavin Newsom continued to troll President Donald Trump and his administration on social media this week, copying the White House's latest tactics to spin mockery back in their direction.
Over the last several weeks, Newsom's press office account has taken to posting in all-caps, mimicking Trump's posting style on Truth Social.
This week — after the president came under fire for posting a racist, AI-created video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — Newsom's account followed suit, posting some AI creations of its own.
In one of Newsom's clips, a viral meme version of Vice President JD Vance with a round face and long, curly hair presents "A History of Couches" — a callback to the infamous, but false, rumor that Vance recounted a sexual encounter with his couch cushions in his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
In "A History of Couches," the memeified deepfake of Vance introduces the Chesterfield style of leather sofa, detailing the history and "elegance" of its design.
"There are rumors that I once had an encounter with a Chesterfield," Vance appears to say in the AI-generated clip. "People exaggerate, twist the truth, but when you sit on one, you understand where such stories come from. The Chesterfield isn't just furniture, it's an experience, and some of us know that a little too well."
The governor captioned the AI video, "POOR JD! HIS SWEET BELOVED COUCH NOW COSTS MORE WITH THE TARIFFS!"
Newsom's mocking posts continued throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. In a second deepfake video of Vance, the AI-generated VP appears to address some of his real-life scandals, including a resurfaced photo of him in drag and allegations that he wears eyeliner. That video also mentions the fake couch rumor.
"What I don't understand is why people are so obsessed with this other thing: couch intimacy," the fake Vance says in the clip. "Like really? That's the part you're hung up on? Out of everything? That's bizarre to me."
Newsom's personal X account similarly targeted the vice president, sharing a clip of Vance on Fox News where a minion filter has been applied to mask his face and voice.
Newsom's latests efforts to troll Trump come just days after the president posted a fake AI video of himself.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, Trump posted a fake news clip apparently generated using AI in which he said every American would be getting "their own medbed card," according to outlets including Forbes, CNN and The Daily Beast.
The video, which was discussed and shared by CNN's Jake Tapper on Instagram, featured an AI-generated Fox News segment hosted by Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. It highlighted the "historic new healthcare system," which, in actuality, is non-existent and often touted by conspiracy theorists.
“Every American will soon receive their own medbed card,” an AI-generated version of the president said in the video, in part. “With it, you’ll have guaranteed access to our new hospitals led by the top doctors in the nation, equipped with the most advanced technology in the world.”
The clip was deleted from Trump's profile around 12 hours after it was first posted, The Daily Beast reported. Fox News confirmed to The Verge that the segment “never aired on Fox News Channel or any other Fox News Media platforms."