Vice President JD Vance thinks that President Trump’s racist deepfake social media video is nothing but ‘funny.’ The video shows House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a mustache and wearing a sombrero. However, what JD Vance did not expect was the lengths California Gov. Gavin Newsom would go to test his sense of humor.
Vance laughed off the recent viral video, calling it phony and a joke. During the White House daily press conference on Wednesday, Vance dismissed criticism of Trump’s startling AI-generated post.
“Oh, I think it’s funny,” Vance said. “The President’s joking and we’re having a good time. You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats’ positions and even, you know, poking some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves.”
The public, however, did not let it go. A Threads user commented, “He’s joking right. He thinks it is not offensive because Jeffries is not a Mexican American? Seriously?” There was another user who said, “Pretending not to understand an egregious act doesn’t mean it wasn’t egregious. It just means you’re complicit in it.”
Following a White House meeting on Monday with Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the POTUS shared the repulsive meme. Democrats will not back the GOP’s government funding package unless Republicans agree to extend expired Affordable Care Act subsidies and restore Medicaid funding, which is being drastically slashed under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
WATCH — @JessicaTarlov: “Trump is posting racist AI videos, saying ‘I don’t need to deal with them’. JD Vance is lying about what Democrats are asking saying we want to fund healthcare for illegals, which is impossible and doesn’t happen.”
Bad faith. #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/6eeP2wI8sq
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) October 1, 2025
Meanwhile, Jeffries called the video ‘insulting’ and taunted President Donald Trump. “Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a [-] and fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face,” he said.
Gavin Newsom, the California governor, wasted no time in jumping on the outrage over Vice President Vance’s weak defense of Trump’s utter bigotry. Newsom even posted another hilarious scorning social media meme in quite a Trumpian style.
“AWFUL JD! Because of the tariffs, his beloved couch is now more expensive.” Gavin posted. Newsom introduced a fictional program titled “A HISTORY OF COUCHES WITH JD VANCE” by writing above an AI video that featured an overweight, curly-haired Vance seated on a big Chesterfield chair.
As expected, the post didn’t go over well among the MAGA base. “The funny thing is that you think portraying him like this is a win for you when all it does is show how insensitive you are to people who actually are overweight,” this X user responded, apparently missing the overall point of the couch.
“Well, Vance did say it’s good to have fun during times like this. Laugh it up couch boy,” a Threads user concurred and this one, “Omg, I’m dying right now.” Newsom did not stop there; he turned Vance into a minion, and the jokes just kept coming, all at Vance’s expense.
The reason why so many people found the AI-generated Vance caricature regarding couches so humorous is significant because it was created a year ago, when Vance was still vying to be Trump’s vice presidential nominee.
A July 2024 X article joked that Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” contained a passage about his using a latex glove stuffed between two couch cushions for his own pleasure. It was untrue, of course. Even though there is nothing about that in the book, it went viral on social media.
