Gavin Newsom is mocking Pete Hegseth with videos of him doing various physical activities. Amidst Newsom’s creative social media strategy, his press office shared three different pieces of footage as a response to Hegseth’s “standards are back” comment.
In the video, the Secretary of War accidentally injures himself while attempting to pick up a skateboard, and in another video, he’s trying to do a pull-up. Another one is him trying to throw an axe. Hegseth boasted about his new policy for the National Guard and dealing with those who fail to meet the standards.
Earlier, Hegseth had shared a headline, “Some Texas National Guard troops replaced in Illinois after failing to meet standards,” from a military media site. The National Guard troops deployed in Chicago went viral for their heavyset looks, with several memes circulating.
The Bureau responded with the statement, “National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are required to meet service-specific height, weight, and physical fitness standards at all times.”
https://t.co/AlUgWFidvC pic.twitter.com/5lZ6nI4kEQ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 13, 2025
The pull-up video footage is from August, when Hegseth and RFK Jr. were doing pull-ups in an attempt to make Americans fit, calling it a “Pete and Bobby challenge.” The axe video was recorded when Hegseth was live on Fox and Friends in 2015, where he missed the target and hit the marching band drummer. Later, it was revealed that the target was placed in that area negligently.
X users were quick to hop on the troll train. One user commented, “That pull-up is so embarrassing.” Another one added, “Every day, America’s greatest Governor Gavin C. Newsom, makes Trump and MAGA shrink a little smaller.”
Some MAGA supporters tried to defend Pete, “You know that was after he did 40 pull-ups, right? How many can you do? I’m old and can do 5.” However, it doesn’t seem like Newsom will stop mocking Trump and his supporters anytime soon.
Gavin Newsom has been known for trolling Trump and MAGA members on social media. It’s his inventive strategy that mocks them using their own statements or copying their campaigns. For instance, Newsom started posting in all caps just like Trump.
He even launched an online website to sell merchandise inspired by Trump’s MAGA merchandise, but with his name on it. Moreover, his office X handle is full of posts criticizing Trump and his allies. His strategy is based on playing with the same tactics as the MAGA clan.
