Newsom calls out Trump’s ‘dementia’ symptoms over repeated wildfire claims

WASHINGTON, DC: Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing back with sharp wit and tech-savvy comebacks as his feud with Donald Trump escalates online.

The California leader has taken to X to respond to Trump’s recent jabs, including criticism of Newsom’s hand movements and the resurfacing of false claims about the military supplying water during California wildfires.

Newsom even shared an AI chatbot’s response to a question about dementia—a move seemingly aimed at growing speculation over Trump’s health, including visible bruises, swollen ankles, and cognitive issues.

What did Trump say about Gavin Newsom in the Oval Office?

During a recent Oval Office meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Trump was asked whether California Governor Gavin Newsom should face an investigation over his management of the state’s wildfires.

Trump responded by focusing on Newsom’s hand movements, saying, “I watched him with the hands, I’m saying, ‘What’s going on with the hands?’ There’s something wrong with him. You watch him, there’s something wrong with this guy.”

Notably, Trump himself has been seen with bruises on his hands, which he appeared to conceal with heavy makeup during his Oval Office press conference on September 2, his first public event in a week.

Beyond targeting Newsom’s gestures, Trump also revived disproven claims that the military had to intervene to supply water to California during the wildfires earlier this year. “Newsom didn’t allow the water to come from the Pacific Northwest,” Trump insisted. “If that were open during the fire, you wouldn’t have had the fire because all the sprinklers would have worked in the houses. I had to send the military to have the water opened after the fires."

It is worth noting that CNN fact-checked the claim earlier this year, writing, "this is false. Newsom has never refused to sign a ‘water restoration declaration.’ In fact, there is no such document, as Newsom’s office said on social media on Wednesday and experts on California water policy confirmed."   

How did Gavin Newsom react to Trump's repeated disproven claim?

Newsom gave a strong response by sharing a video compilation highlighting several of Trump’s physical missteps, including a moment when he tripped while climbing the stairs of Air Force One. 

He captioned the post, “We talking hands?” Additionally, Newsom reposted a video of Trump’s comments about California’s water situation and sharply questioned the president’s cognitive health.

In response to a clip of Trump’s water claims, Newsom shared a screenshot from an AI chatbot answering the question, “Do people with dementia repeat the same falsehoods and crazy conspiracies over and over again?” The reply read, “People with dementia often repeat the same statements, questions, and sometimes false or mistaken beliefs. This repetitive behavior can include everyday concerns, but may also involve delusions or persistent falsehoods, such as believing people are stealing from them or thinking they are in danger sometime leading to repeated expression of these ideas."

Newsom’s office also issued a separate post refuting Trump’s water-related allegations. The post read, "Unfortunately, the President of the United States is a bumbling idiot. There was plenty of water in Southern California (In fact, State Reservoirs were at Historic Highs)."

This latest exchange echoed the feud’s pattern from last week, when Trump claimed he “sent hundreds of millions of gallons of water per day to the Pacific Ocean.” Newsom countered with a Grok question-and-answer session similar to the one he posted on September 3.

Trump also repeated his critique of Newsom’s hand gestures, calling the governor a “nice guy, good-looking” with “some hand action going on.” Newsom responded to that initial jab by tweeting, “You really want to have the conversation about hands?”

Gavin Newsom and Trump’s clash sparks mixed reactions online

After the public clash between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump went viral, many internet users quickly took to social media to share their reactions.

One user pointed out Newsom’s gestures, writing, “I think they make weird body gestures though,” alongside several clips of his hands and body movements. 

Another commenter took a broader swipe, saying, “The entire professional class of the Democratic Party should probably be tested, then. Including you."

A Newsom supporter countered with praise: “Unlike the endless falsehoods we hear from Trump, Gavin Newsom is focused on facts, science, and real solutions that actually move California forward.”

Meanwhile, another user directed a jab at Newsom, suggesting, “You really should be discussing your personal health concerns with your doctor."

One X user offered a satirical take on Trump’s repeated claims, explaining, “Trump had a dream where a lack of enough water for sprinklers in houses and not sweeping the forest is causing the fires. Then, he quotes from his dream, quickly forgets that he did it, and then quotes from it again and again. Such is the nature of dementia.”

Another user commented, “You just posted something you had posted before. This is also dementia, just updated for the new tech era.”

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.