The long-term feud between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has transformed into a new meme war. Over the past 24 hours, both leaders have traded gusts of online jabs with edited videos.
Trump's Truth Society Provocation
On Wednesday, Trump posted multiple edited videos targeting Newsom. One clip depicted the man – his face was replaced by a Newsom one – shouting as he lightly slammed into a punching bag with Trump's face engraved on it.
In another post, Trump shared a video showing Newsom wearing a red “Trump 2028” cap, saying, “When I said I received my Trump 2028 hat in an email, I wasn't exaggerating. These guys aren't messing around with me.”
Newsom fights back
Newsom responded quickly with X. One meme laughed at Trump over recent speculation about his health and yelled at the president on the floor, “I fell, and I won't wake up!” Another portrays the governor holding a toddler-sized card in his diaper as having a tantrum, and Newsom puts him behind the bar.
Newsom also returned to Trump's previous swipe during an oval office briefing to the governor's hand, “What's going on?” question, “What's going on?”. Trump had insisted that “something is wrong with him.” In response, Newsom posted a meme splicing Trump's remarks in recent footage of his own hurt, made-up hands, nodding to the wounds on the president's unknown hand that resurfaced at a press conference on Tuesday.
AI-generated jab
This is not the first time that Newsom's team has used digital media to introduce presidents. Earlier this month, they distributed images generated to the Governor X's AI. Among them was the caption, “Long Live the King,” depicting him as the crowned monarch on the cover of Time Magazine. Another showed a muscular Newsom clutching the American flag tagged with “Gavin We Trust.”
Political feud beyond memes
The meme fight highlights a deeper political clash between Trump and Newsom. Newsom challenged Trump over the federalization of the California State Guard and quelled protests against US immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The lawsuit alleges that Trump acted without the governor's consent and exceeded his constitutional authority. “The president is not the king and does not exceed the law,” Newsom declared.
A broader democratic pushback
While Congressional Democrats remain limited by Republican control in both rooms, governors like Newsom have taken visible steps to counter Trump's impact at the state level. Meme wars, although unconventional, emphasize that the political battle between Trump and Democratic leaders is increasingly unfolding not only in courts but online.
