California Gov. Gavin Newsom tore into JD Vance for reinventing himself as a Trump supporter—and twisted the knife by ridiculing his physical makeover, too.
Grew a beard and lost his spine.But at least he kept the eyeliner. https://t.co/WM5fCpKeZb
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 2, 2025
Newsom on Tuesday posted a compilation of resurfaced clips of Vance declaring himself a “never Trump guy,” in a 2016 interview with Charlie Rose, and saying that he “can’t stomach Trump.”
“Grew a beard and lost his spine,” Newsom wrote alongside the video, poking fun at the clean-shaven look Vance used to sport.
Newsom further mocked the vice president’s appearance, writing, “But at least he kept the eyeliner.”
Vance has never addressed whether he wears makeup. But Vance’s wife, Usha, and disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos both claimed that the vice president doesn’t wear eyeliner.
In the videos shared by Newsom, Vance offered harsh critiques of Trump, ranging from his sexual assault allegations to the “noxious” direction he was taking the “white working class,” he said in a 2016 NPR interview.
“At the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump, who always tells the truth? Just kidding. Or you believe the woman on that tape,” Vance said in a 2016 MSNBC interview, after a New York Times article alleged Trump touched two women inappropriately.
In another 2016 clip, Vance agreed with sports broadcaster Matt Jones, calling Trump “a fraud.”
“I agree with you on Trump, because I don’t think that he’s the person,” Vance said. “I don’t think he actually cares about folks.”
In the clips, Vance claimed he even preferred Hillary Clinton over Trump in the 2016 election, saying that a basis of Trump’s support lay in “racism and xenophobia,” he said in a 2016 interview on PBS NewsHour.
Vance, who has been floated as a 2028 presidential candidate, has been sparring with Newsom, who’s been mocking Trump’s rambling, all-caps writing style.
Vance claimed in a Fox News interview last week that Newsom’s mimicry of Trump on X is inauthentic.
“When I see Gavin Newsom trying to act like Donald Trump, that’s the opposite of authenticity. He’s not trying to be Gavin Newsom—whoever that is,” Vance said to host Will Cain. “He’s trying to be a fake carbon copy of Donald Trump. And it just doesn’t work. The lesson of President Trump in American politics is you’ve got to be authentic to yourself.”
Newsom quickly shot back with a post on X, again mimicking Trump.
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. THE DANCING QUEEN CAN’T STOP! I LIVE RENT-FREE IN HIS HEAD (VERY TINY SPACE,…
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 29, 2025
“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,” Newsom’s press office wrote.
The Daily Beast reached out to Vance and Newsom for comment.
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