California Governor Gavin Newsom has criticized President Donald Trump for initiating the war with Iran. Newsom recently appeared on the Networth and Chill podcast with Vivian Tu while on tour to promote his book Young Man in a Hurry.
The California governor called out the president for posting video game clips — a reference to the White House’s official social media account uploading clips from popular video games before seamlessly transitioning to real scenarios from the war.
Newsom took to social media to upload snippets from his interview. While speaking about White House’s latest social media activities, he said, “We’re in the middle of a war. 13 American soldiers killed. 140 maimed. And Donald Trump is posting video game clips like it’s entertainment.”
The California governor also pointed out the nickname the president uses to refer to him. Newsom called out Trump by saying that the president, who is almost 80 years old, still acts like a little boy.
We’re in the middle of a war. 13 American soldiers killed. 140 maimed. And Donald Trump is posting video game clips like it’s entertainment. pic.twitter.com/WLrY60TGIt
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 18, 2026
Newsom said, “Trump is a [expletive]. He is. Our alliances, truth, trust, tariffs, and the grift. I don’t wanna lose you by being too flippant.”
I mean, this is the guy who calls me Newscum, okay? The president of the United States. He is 80 years old. I write in the book about an eight year old that used to call me Newscum. The bully of Baltimore,” he added.
Newsom then indicated that the Trump administration belittled the deaths of U.S. soldiers by linking the ongoing war to popular video games.
Recently, the White House faced waves of criticism after associating the Iran air strikes with pop culture references like video games, movies, sports, etc.
The California governor said, “The president of the United States. The guy dresses in cosplays as the pope, Superman, a picture on the side of Mountain Rushmore, all caps.”
“And the AI videos. You want unsettling? You are in the middle of a war. 13 human beings, American soldiers, died, 140 were maimed. Lives will maybe never recover. And he is out there with video game images, AI-generated images. This is madness,” Newsom added.
NO THANK YOU, WE BELIEVE IN FREE ELECTIONS! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/GXnBVUzEkI
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 16, 2026
Several social media users supported Newsom’s statements. Former soldier Shaun Pinner responded, saying, “This is sickening by a head of state. War is miserable, especially one of attrition. To make it entertaining is just wrong on every level.”
An X user commented, “While lives are being lost and families are grieving, leadership should show seriousness and responsibility, not treat war like a spectacle. This is exactly why voices like Gavin Newsom are calling for accountability and dignity in moments like these.”
Another user wrote, “My demented grandfather is 94 and is somehow more coherent than the president.”
One user wrote, “He even danced in the middle of the war, ignoring the fact that the coffins of dead soldiers were in front of him. He doesn’t care about anything and doesn’t even show concern for the American people.”
