California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) took his trolling battle with President Donald Trump to new heights after posting an AI-generated video Wednesday depicting President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller in handcuffs.
In the doctored video, the men sit with their hands behind their backs as the text “It’s cuffing season” appears on screen. The clip then shows Trump, Hegseth and Miller in the back seat of a car as they simultaneously raise their cuffed hands to their faces and shed tears.
Newsom’s video wraps up with the trio appearing to walk up to the doors of a courthouse as police, reporters and spectators stare and record them with their cell phones. The video is set to the tune of R&B singer SZA’s “Big Boy,” which features the lyrics, “It’s cuffing season.”
The California governor’s post was a response to a White House X post earlier this week that showed federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers making sweeping arrests of immigrants as “Big Boy” played in the background.
“WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. [handcuff emoji],” the White House captioned its Dec. 8 post. “Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Donald Trump have publicly trolled each other on social media for months.
SZA torched the White House in an X post on Wednesday for using her song to promote the detention of immigrants.
“White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics ..Evil n Boring,” she wrote.
Numerous musicians, including Rihanna and Adele, have publicly condemned the Trump administration for using their songs at rallies or in videos without their permission.
Most recently, pop star Sabrina Carpenter called the White House’s use of one of her songs for an ICE video “evil and disgusting,” adding, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
Earlier this month, Newsom posted multiple altered images depicting the president as a pig after Trump went viral for referring to a female reporter as “piggy.”
Trump has faced scrutiny in recent months over his use of AI in political messaging.
