Newsom Uses AI-Generated Memes Against Vance

California Gov. Gavin Newsom used AI-generated images and videos on social media — including memefied 'Just Dance' clips, a faux talk-show couch bit, and a cartoon of former President Trump on a leash — to lampoon Vice President J.D. Vance after Vance's White House remarks accusing Democrats of seeking large healthcare funds for 'illegal aliens' during shutdown talks. Newsom called Vance's claim 'blatantly false' and publicly insulted him, while his press office amplified the attacks with all-caps posts on X blaming Republicans for a possible shutdown. Critics said Newsom's tone mirrored former President Trump's abrasive social-media style, and conservative outlets fact-checked and accused him of hypocrisy, noting procedural complexities around shutdown blame. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel separately roasted Vance over denials about FCC Chair Brendan Carr's role in temporarily preempting his show, illustrating how the dispute has spilled into pop culture. The exchanges underscore intensifying partisan brinkmanship and the growing use of AI and viral imagery as political weapons in shutdown debates.