Meme war heats up: Donald Trump takes a jab, Gavin Newsom claps back; internet can't look away

US President Donald Trump and California governor Gavin Newsom have taken their political feud to a new battlefield: the meme war.

Since Trump took office for the second time, he has engaged with Newsom in several wars of words over a range of issues.

Recently, Trump called Newsom "incompetent" and once again dangled threats of sending the National Guard back to California. It spiralled into a volley of AI-generated, heavily edited videos that look more like a late-night comedy show than a political showdown.

Donald Trump Truth Social Post 10:23 PM EST 09/03/25 pic.twitter.com/qX8VZ7WBO6

— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 4, 2025

Donald Trump Truth Social Post 10:25 PM EST 09/03/25 pic.twitter.com/AqAl9lcKEt

— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 4, 2025

On Wednesday night, Trump posted a video showing a man lazily tapping a punching bag and screaming — only this time, the man's face had been replaced with Newsom's, while the bag bore Trump's photo. In another clip, a man with his face replaced by Newsom's sported a "Trump 2028" cap and confessed, "I wasn't exaggerating when I said I received a Trump 2028 hat in the mail. These guys are not screwing around."

pic.twitter.com/uVtD582erx

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 4, 2025

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— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 4, 2025

Not to be out-memed, Newsom fired back with his own digital counterpunches. In one video, a police officer with Newsom's face dialled over a fallen "Trump" — portrayed as a helpless elderly woman gasping, "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" Another clip went even further, showing Newsom cradling a wailing "baby Trump" before plopping him into a cage.