California Governor Gavin Newsom drew widespread online attention following his appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where viewers focused less on his policy remarks and more on the way he sat during the interview.

Images of Newsom with his legs crossed in opposite directions circulated quickly, with many users on X claiming the position looked uncomfortable and suggesting he appeared to be crushing his own genitals.

Screenshots of the moment were widely shared as users turned the pose into a running joke.

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One user wrote, “I have never seen a man crush his testicles harder than this dude.”

Another said, “Gavin Newsom: Democrats need to be more ‘culturally normal.’ Maybe start by not sitting like that ever again.”

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Another comment read, “You can never trust a man who sits like this. Never.”

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The images prompted many users to create photoshopped versions that exaggerated the posture, portraying Newsom in increasingly contorted positions.

The sequence of edited images continued to spread across the platform as more users joined in.

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Newsom’s office responded by attempting to participate in the humor, posting a photoshopped image of the governor in a yoga pose.

The caption accompanying the image stated, “Democracy requires flexibility.”

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The online reaction overshadowed some of Newsom’s remarks during the event regarding national guard policies during the Trump administration.

His comments received comparatively little attention as discussion centered almost entirely on the viral images and user responses.

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The episode comes as Newsom continues working to expand his reach on social media, particularly on X.

His account has adopted stylistic elements similar to President Donald Trump’s posts, including occasional use of all caps or sign-offs resembling Trump’s online messaging.

Newsom’s team has made an effort to increase engagement on the platform by leaning into moments that generate widespread discussion.

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