California Gov. Gavin Newsom took aim at President Donald Trump’s beef import plans by resurrecting one of the most iconic ads of the 1980s.
Newsom shared a mock-up on X of Wendy’s classic “Where’s the beef?” commercial, overlaid with a Fox News headline reading, “BEEF PRICES HIT RECORD HIGH.” As the clip played, Trump’s face appeared on one of the hamburger buns—mouth agape, looking bewildered.
The original 1984 ad, starring 81-year-old Clara Peller, became a pop culture sensation after she barked the line “Where’s the beef?” at a competitor’s skimpy hamburger.
Wendy’s used the slogan to boast that its patties contained more meat than those sold by McDonald’s or Burger King. The phrase became a shorthand for calling out empty promises, even entering the realm of politics when Walter Mondale used it against rival Gary Hart in a Democratic primary debate.
Newsom’s team doubled down later in the day, posting an AI-generated image of Trump staring at a woman whose face was replaced by a thick, juicy steak—complete with a tiny Argentinian flag toothpick. “Where’s the beef?” Trump asks in a caption.
The posts came after Brooke Rollins, one of Trump’s top economic advisers, confirmed on CNBC’s Squawk Box that the administration was “in discussions” to import beef from Argentina as he tries to help his political ally, President Javier Milei.
“Yes, the president has said he’s in discussions with Argentina,” Rollins told the host. “It will not be very much. Argentina is also facing a foot-and-mouth disease issue.”
Newsom’s press office seized on the comment almost immediately.
“Trump’s own adviser admits they’re ‘in discussions’ to import beef from Argentina—a country currently facing foot and mouth disease,” the account wrote.
In another post, the governor’s office accused Trump of undercutting U.S. ranchers: “Trump’s latest scheme: flood the U.S. market with Argentinian beef—devastating American ranchers fighting for survival as herds hit 75-year lows. Trump is propping up foreign producers at the expense of American jobs, families, and farms.”
Even some Republicans aren’t thrilled. Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, a cattle rancher, warned that the plan could backfire.
“If you flood the market, that hurts beef producers badly,” Risch said in a video posted by his staff, adding that a “very sizable number of senators” had shared their concerns directly with Trump at the White House.
Sen. Rand Paul also questioned the policy’s logic.
“It seems to go against the administration, who says, on the one hand, ‘We’ve got to keep out foreign goods—oh, except for Argentinian beef,’” he told NOTUS.
In a statement to NOTUS, the White House said the administration “remains committed to addressing the needs and concerns of American cattle producers and safeguarding their interests at home and abroad.” The Daily Beast has also asked for comment.
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