California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office openly mocked President Trump, as per The Hill, after he unleashed nearly 60 social media posts in a single hour, including a truly bizarre claim about a massive American retailer. Newsom’s team sounded genuinely exhausted by the digital storm, posting, “Deep breaths, everyone,” in reaction to the barrage of posts. They felt compelled to address some of the wildest claims directly.
The chaos kicked off when President Trump suggested that Walmart was closing 85 percent of its California stores because employees were now earning a $22 minimum wage. Newsom’s team quickly moved to set the record straight on X. “Just to clarify: Walmart’s 303 stores in California are open. The AI robot is lying. Governor Newsom is not Pablo Escobar,” Newsom’s press office wrote.
It’s wild that a state office even has to address whether their governor is a drug lord, which was the subject of another one of President Trump’s posts. That post featured an AI-generated person falsely claiming Newsom and “the Mexican cartel” were operating a drug-money laundering scheme right out of the governor’s office.
It’s definitely worth noting that Newsom is no stranger to using technology to mock Donald Trump
The deeper frustration about the president’s posting spree was evident in a follow-up post. “We cannot believe we have to say any of this out loud,” the media team wrote. “We cannot believe this is real life. And we truly cannot believe this man has the nuclear codes. Deep breaths, everyone. Three more years.” That’s a serious reaction, implying deep concern over the president’s stability and judgment.
The team even threw some shade at the timing of the president’s activity. They posted an image featuring a Google search for “what is sundowning,” which refers to a state of confusion and other symptoms that often affect older adults in the late afternoon and evening. It’s a pretty pointed insult regarding the president’s late-night social media habits.
Beyond the drug cartel claims and the Walmart misinformation, another of President Trump’s California-related posts featured a video of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. Oz claimed that a welfare fraud scandal in Los Angeles County was “far worse” than a similar scandal that took place in Minnesota.
Newsom noted how quickly things travel, starting with a tweet or a retweet and quickly ending up in blogs and major news shows. “All of a sudden we’re having a conversation where I have to say, ‘No, it’s not true. I’m not involved with the Mexican cartels,’” Newsom said, highlighting the serious real-world consequences of having to combat these internet rumors.
This social media drama is happening against the backdrop of a major policy fight concerning the devastating Palisades fire. Newsom was recently in Washington, D.C., advocating for necessary Federal Emergency Management Agency aid to help communities recover. President Trump, however, announced that he signed an executive order intended to speed up rebuilding by having FEMA and the Small Business Administration preempt state and local regulations.
Newsom was absolutely furious about this move, seeing it as a distraction rather than real help. “Donald Trump has signed a useless Executive Order rather than deliver the $34 BILLION California’s tax payers DESERVE in wildfire disaster aid to actually rebuild!” Newsom wrote on X. “It’s been over a year and he has refused to help the American people. Disgusting.”
Published: Jan 30, 2026 12:30 pm