After pivoting into a Donald Trump-style of social media posting to mock the U.S. president, California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s team has now introduced a new nickname for Vice President J.D. Vance, “Just Dance Vance.”
The governor’s office was commenting on Vance’s recent visit to Indianapolis where Republicans are under pressure from the Trump administration to redraw the state’s electoral map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The same move has recently been pushed by Texas Republicans in the Lone Star State, promising to give the GOP five additional seats next year. The controversial strategy is behind the recent fleeing of Texas Democrats from the state and sparked nationwide protests against a “Trump takeover” on Saturday.
“NOT EVEN JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE CAN SAVE TRUMP FROM THE DISASTROUS MAPS ‘WAR’ HE HAS STARTED,” Newsom’s office wrote on X on Saturday, mimicking Trump’s habit to write in all-caps.
Why It Matters
The kind of trolling that Newsom is currently directing at Trump on social media is yet another step in the quickly escalating clash between the U.S. president and the California governor.
Their relationship has deteriorated after Trump decided to send thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles earlier this summer despite Newsom’s objections.
The president justified the move as necessary to contain protests in the city against his administration’s mass deportation efforts, but Newsom said it was only trying to fulfill “the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president.”
The state of California has since sued the president for sending federal troops to Los Angeles without Newsom’s permission. A trial was held last week and a decision in the case is looming.
What To Know
Giving Vance a nickname—”Just Dance Vance”—is just one of the many ways Newsom is imitating Trump’s very recognizable social media posting style to mock the president.
These include using derogatory nicknames for his political opponents, writing in all-caps and overtly and exaggeratedly praising himself for real or imaginary achievements. In Trump’s social media world, the California governor is often referred to as “Newscum.” In his mocking posts, Newsom has repeatedly referred to Trump as “tiny hands.”
This mockery has gone side by side with the California governor’s fight against nationwide attempts to redistribute congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms—a strategy that is backed by Trump and his administration.
Newsom has threatened to go ahead with his own plan to redraw California’s electoral map should Texas and other Republican-led states reconfigure their state’s congressional districts in their favor.
The governor said that California will not redraw its electoral map if Republican-led states give up on the idea—if not, they can expect a tit-for-tat from the Golden State which would effectively neutralize their efforts.
What People Are Saying
Newsom’s press office wrote on X: “NOT EVEN JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE CAN SAVE TRUMP FROM THE DISASTROUS MAPS ‘WAR’ HE HAS STARTED. NOT EVEN HIS EYELINER LINES LOOK AS PRETTY AS CALIFORNIA ‘MAP’ LINES. HE WILL FAIL, AS HE ALWAYS DOES (SAD!)
“AND I, THE PEACETIME GOVERNOR—OUR NATION’S FAVORITE—WILL SAVE AMERICA ONCE AGAIN. MANY ARE NOW CALLING ME GAVIN CHRISTOPHER ‘COLUMBUS’ NEWSOM (BECAUSE OF THE MAPS!). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”
Questioned by a reporter about his trolling of the president in his recent social media posts, Newsom said on Thursday: “I’m just following his example. If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he’s putting out as president.”
Reporter: What’s going on with those posts on X that are clearly trolling the president?Newsom: I hope it’s a wake up call for the president. I’m just following his example. If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he’s… pic.twitter.com/DgK7UBsIce
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2025
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Newscum’s obsession is getting a little creepy at this point. Gavin will never be ready for primetime!”
What Happens Next
It is unclear how long Newsom and his team will continue to mock the president and his social media posting style, but the bitterness between the two is unlikely to dissipate. Newsom’s time in office ends next year, and he is rumored to be contemplating a run for president.
The post Gavin Newsom’s Team Unveils New Nickname for JD Vance appeared first on Newsweek.
