Newsom Deploys AI-Generated Video of Handcuffed Trump in Escalating Social Media Feud

WASHINGTON – The escalating war of words between California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration has entered a new technological phase, with Newsom deploying an AI-generated video depicting former President Donald Trump in handcuffs. The post, shared Wednesday on the social media platform X, marks the latest and most visually provocative jab in an ongoing rivalry increasingly fought with digital tools.

The short, artificially generated video shows Trump alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. The three are depicted sitting on outdoor steps with their hands cuffed behind their backs as the text “It’s cuffing season” appears on screen. The clip then cuts to a scene inside a vehicle where the three men, still in handcuffs, appear to be crying. The video concludes with the trio seemingly approaching a courthouse, where they are met by a crowd of police, reporters, and onlookers holding up phones to capture the moment. The entire sequence is set to the R&B track “Big Boys” by the artist SZA.

Newsom’s post was not an unprompted attack but a direct and calculated response to a video shared by the White House just hours earlier. The administration’s post featured a montage of real arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), set to the same SZA song. The White House caption read, “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.”

The appropriation of her music for a political message about immigration enforcement drew a swift and sharp rebuke from SZA. In a post on X, the Grammy-winning artist condemned the White House’s actions. “Rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK,” she wrote, adding it was an example of “inhumanity +shock and aw tactics ..Evil n Boring.”

SZA is not the first musician to publicly object to the administration’s use of their work. Pop musician Sabrina Carpenter recently described the White House’s use of one of her songs in a similar ICE-related video as “evil and disgusting.” These incidents have sparked a wider conversation about the ethics of using popular culture to promote controversial government policies without the artists’ consent.

For Governor Newsom, the use of AI-generated content to criticize Trump and his administration has become a recurring tactic. This latest video is part of a pattern of leveraging technology to land political blows on social media. Last week, Newsom shared an AI-generated image of himself being awarded a fictional “inaugural Kohl’s Peace Prize.” This was a direct mockery of Trump receiving the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize, which came after reports that Trump had hoped to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This year’s Nobel prize was ultimately awarded to Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado.

In another instance in October, Newsom’s campaign office posted an AI-generated image that merged Trump’s face with the body of Marie Antoinette. The post was a critique of what Democrats framed as misplaced priorities during a government shutdown, referencing plans to demolish the East Wing of the White House to build a new ballroom. The caption read, “TRUMP ‘MARIE ANTOINETTE’ SAYS, ‘NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!’”

This digital sparring unfolds against a backdrop of tangible political maneuvering. Newsom, a prominent Democrat widely considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028, has positioned himself as a leading antagonist to the Trump administration. In a recent interview on “The Jack Cocchiarella Show,” Newsom offered a surprising perspective on the possibility of Trump running for a third term, an idea the former president has floated despite constitutional term limits.

“I’ve softened, to your question, on this notion of a third Trump term because time of life and state of mind,” Newsom said. He elaborated on his view, suggesting any future Trump presidency would be limited in its long-term impact. “His regime is going to be measured not in decades, but in years,” Newsom continued, adding with an audible sigh, “And that’s comforting.”

The exchange over “cuffing season” demonstrates how political communication is evolving, with high-profile figures embracing provocative, technologically-assisted content to engage in rapid-fire confrontations. While designed to go viral and energize supporters, the increasing use of AI-generated imagery and video in political discourse raises complex questions about authenticity, misinformation, and the boundaries of acceptable satire in an already polarized landscape.