JD Vance Tried to Act Like Trump and Crack on Gavin Newsom — Newsom’s Response Proved He’s Outmatched
JD Vance probably didn’t expect a passing remark about Gavin Newsom to snowball into a viral moment that lived far beyond a cable news segment.
The Vice President’s seemingly harmless joke landed as a thinly veiled dig at the California governor, leaving some to wonder whether it was less humor and more jealousy — or even quiet envy of Newsom’s polished skills.
‘Ewww … What Is That?’: JD Vance and Elon Musk’s Sloppy Appearance at Trump’s Event Gets Roasted After Folks Zoom in on Strange Marks
The subtext didn’t take long to register, and Newsom himself responded just as quickly, firing back with a remark sharp enough to blur the line between a clever clapback and a pointed insult.
During Vance’s Jan. 7 interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters steered the conversation away from policy and toward viral moments such as an image of Newsom with his legs crossed.
“Gavin Newsom, obviously running for president. Have you seen this guy cross his legs? Have you ever seen anyone cross his legs like that?” Watters asked, implying that the Democrat was soft or effeminate.
Vance smiled and chuckled before playing along, responding, “My legs don’t cross like that, Jesse. I’ll leave you with this… hell you can interpret that however you want to.”
Watters: Have you seen Newsom cross his legs?
Vance: My legs don’t cross like that pic.twitter.com/QdbR0xOcCf
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 8, 2026
By the time the clip hit social media, the line landed softly on air, but traveled loudly online.
One social media user wrote, “OMFG!! Jesse is so obsessed with how Gavin crosses his legs!!”
Another jumped in with, “Because he’s too fat,” offering an unsolicited explanation as to why Vance won’t cross his legs like Newsom. “Cause you’re not fit like Newsom, JD,” a third blunt reader noted.
One commenter tried to capture what Vance meant, asking, “Does he think he seems more masculine for not being flexible enough to cross his legs? All while having a face full of makeup.”
After several public appearances — particularly in early 2025 — observers began pointing out a dark line around Vance’s eyes, sparking speculation that he was wearing heavy eyeliner rather than simply dealing with lighting or shadow.
Someone else went further, posting, “A garbage pail kid wanna be getting to laugh at an objectively attractive man who can kick his a— all day is the whole reason JD is in office.”
Then some viewers actually dug up images of Vance.
No, they cross like this. pic.twitter.com/haFJokLq4Y
— Joanna Lamb Looby 🇺🇸🌎🇺🇦 (@joannalamblooby) January 8, 2026
“No, they cross like this,” read one post on X, that featured multiple images of the vice president sitting on stages with one leg crossed over the other. One observer who zoomed in replied, “Those are some chicken legs.”
Newsom didn’t waste time pretending the chatter didn’t exist.
Instead of responding with words, his official account dropped an AI-generated image exaggerating the same leg-crossing pose everyone was dissecting with the caption: “Namaste, JD.”
Namaste, JD. pic.twitter.com/4i4lPjudDI
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 8, 2026
Newsom’s one-photo answer leaned further into the joke as Newsom shifted the tone from scrutiny to satire.
“Lmao ain’t no way this is real,” one person wrote.
Another said, “JD Vance does not have the flexibility nor agility to save democracy,” mocking the Vice President.
That image gained another layer once the New York Post put up side-by-side images with the original frame, inviting readers to compare the original photo with one of the AI images posted under the governor’s profile.
The dust-up also fit into a longer pattern between Vance and Newsom.
Gavin Newsom roasted for bizarre reaction post to viral ‘testicle-crushing’ sitting pose pic.twitter.com/wvFysVvwqn
— New York Post (@nypost) December 6, 2025
In October 2025, the two traded shots over controversial deepfake videos of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a mustache and wearing a sombrero circulating online. Vance thought the clips were funny, while Newsom responded using exaggerated visuals of his own, making the “Hillbilly Elegy” author overly chubby.
The two started exchanging jabs at each other long before this time, setting the tone for what’s become a familiar rhythm, one many expect to lead into the next presidential election.
In the end, the leg-crossing question accomplished exactly what modern political moments are built to do.
It put Vance briefly on the spot, handed Newsom a viral opening, and produced a single image that said more than a statement ever could.
