California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing criticism after posting AI-generated videos mocking Vice President J.D. Vance, despite his administration having championed laws aimed at restricting the use of deepfake technology in political content.

On Wednesday, Newsom shared a video on X that altered Vance’s appearance to resemble a character from the animated Despicable Me franchise.

The video depicted Vance with a yellow face, fake glasses, and overalls, while his voice was modified to a high-pitched tone.

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In addition to the cartoon-style video, Newsom’s office released another AI-edited clip portraying Vance as overweight with curly hair.

In that video, Vance appeared to be discussing couches, a reference to a false claim that he had a sexual encounter with a piece of furniture.

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“There are rumors that I once had an encounter with a Chesterfield,” Vance says in the AI-generated video.

“People exaggerate, twist the truth, but when you sit on one, you understand where such stories come from. The Chesterfield isn’t just furniture, it’s an experience, and some of us know that a little too well.”

The post was captioned by Newsom’s office: “POOR JD! HIS SWEET BELOVED COUCH NOW COSTS MORE WITH THE TARIFFS!”

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The posts sparked immediate backlash, with critics pointing to the governor’s past efforts to restrict AI-generated political content.

Last year, California enacted laws regulating the use of deepfake technology in memes and advertisements deemed “materially deceptive” or those that could impact a candidate’s electoral prospects.

Those restrictions applied even to satirical content that did not carry disclaimers.

Newsom supported the measures at the time, framing them as necessary to protect Kamala Harris from online content used in political ads.

The laws quickly faced legal challenges, including from the Babylon Bee, a satirical outlet that argued the legislation violated free speech protections.

Critics also highlighted Newsom’s own comments from last year in which he argued that “manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’” should “be illegal.”

The governor’s latest posts continue a pattern of social media content in which he has imitated President Donald Trump’s online style, including typing in all caps and using phrases associated with the president.

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The attacks against Vance follow an earlier controversy involving President Trump, who posted an edited video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero and mustache.

The post was labeled “racist” by Jeffries, prompting Trump to share another video in response.

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Asked about that controversy during a White House press briefing, Vice President Vance said he did not understand Jeffries’ objection.

“On the sombrero thing, Hakeem Jeffries said it was ‘racist.’ I honestly don’t even know what that means. Like, is he a Mexican-American that is offended by having a sombrero meme?,” Vance said, noting he was unsure what Jeffries meant in his criticism.

Newsom’s AI-generated videos of Vance remain online as the governor faces continued pushback for appearing to ignore standards his own administration put into law.

The controversy has renewed debate over the use of deepfake technology in political messaging, particularly when applied by public officials.

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