Californian Governor Gavin Newsom has labeled JD Vance a “dips–t” in a string of stinging social media posts that included resurfacing images of the vice president in drag.
Vance spoke to reporters after a meeting with President Donald Trump and Democrats on Monday in an effort to avoid a government shutdown that could close services as early as Wednesday.
Little appeared to have been achieved, with both sides blaming the other before the midnight Tuesday deadline.
Newsom shared footage of the vice president from the White House Rapid Response X account pointing the finger at Democrats.
“You don’t put a gun to the American people’s head and say, ‘Unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we’re going to shut down your government,’” Vance told reporters outside the White House.
“That’s exactly what they’re proposing out there.”
Vice President JD Vance speaks next to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
According to Vance, Democrats are “basically saying to the American people we want to give massive amounts of money… to illegal aliens for their health care while Americans are struggling to pay their health care bills,” Vance said. “We thought it was absurd, we told them it was absurd, and now they come in here saying that ‘if you don’t give us everything we want we’re going to shut down the government.’ We think that’s preposterous.”
“I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing,” Vance added. “I hope they change their mind.”
Newsom wrote that Vance’s comments were “Blatantly false, you dips–t.”
Democrats are demanding that a stopgap bill to maintain federal funding until November include financing and preservation of several key measures, including health benefits. While Republicans hold a 53-vote majority, they are short of the 60 votes needed to pass a spending bill.
Even Newsom’s press office took issue with Vance’s Monday comments on its X account with an all-caps reply.
“WOW!!! DOZY DON WAS FAST ASLEEP WHILE JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE HELD HIS WEAK LITTLE PRESS CONFERENCE,” the post read. “TOTAL SOAP OPERA … VERY BAD ACTING, AWFUL DANCING (WAY TOO MUCH ‘EYELINER’) SAD!!! TRUMP’S “BIG UGLY SHUTDOWN” IS A DISASTER.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office X Account troll Trump and JD Vance. X
Newsom’s office claimed that Democrats were against the shutdown and were actually trying to protect healthcare.
“CROOKED TRUMP AND HIS CRONIES WANT TO TAKE IT ALL AWAY (ONLY FOR THEM TO HAVE!) THEY WANT TO RIP HEALTH CARE FROM GRANDMA, YOUR KIDS, EVERYBODY. VERY SICK! (NOT GOOD!) VANCE AND TRUMP WILL LOSE, BADLY!!! DON, ENJOY YOUR NAP. JD WILL JOIN YOU SOON ON ‘THE COUCH’ (NOW 100% MORE TARIFFED!). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN.”
Newsom’s office hadn’t quite finished with pushing MAGA buttons. On Monday night, it posted an old photo of Vance dressed in drag while studying law at Yale to poke fun at the right-wing reaction to Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny being announced as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime performer. The musician, who has 77 million monthly listeners on Spotify, has been a vocal critic of Trump.
The Californian governor has spent the past few months deliberately imitating Trump’s social media style, irritating and confusing MAGA mouthpieces, including Vance.
Speaking to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in August, Vance suggested Newsom’s mocking of the president meant Democrats were trying to “be more like Trump in tone.”
“This idea that Gavin Newsom is somehow going to mimic Donald Trump’s style. That ignores the fundamental genius of President Trump’s political success… that he is authentic,” Vance said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 24, 2025 in New York City. JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global
After Vance’s comments, Newsom’s press office fired off another mocking post on X.
“J.D. ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE, WHO NOBODY LIKED UNTIL TRUMP PICKED HIM OUT OF THE ‘BARGAIN BIN’ IN THE WALMART CLEARANCE SECTION, WENT ON FOX TO TRASH ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, AMERICA’S MOST POPULAR GOVERNOR.”