Overview

• California Governor Gavin Newsom’s official press account shared multiple AI-generated videos targeting JD Vance, including a faux segment titled “A History of Couches.”
• The Tuesday clip was captioned, “POOR JD! HIS SWEET BELOVED COUCH NOW COSTS MORE WITH THE TARIFFS!” and depicts an altered Vance narrating the history of a Chesterfield sofa.
• On Wednesday, the press account posted another AI video referencing a Yale-era photo of Vance in drag, while Newsom’s personal X account circulated a separate minion-style filter of Vance.
• Newsom’s team positioned the posts as a response to President Donald Trump’s recent AI videos, including an altered clip of Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero.
• Critics highlighted California’s laws aimed at curbing materially deceptive political deepfakes, calling Newsom’s tactics hypocritical, though no enforcement action has been reported.