California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a fresh, sardonic broadside against former President Donald Trump and one of his most vocal celebrity backers, musician Kid Rock. The dig came in response to a social media post from the rocker showing him alongside the former president.
The Spark: A Golf Cart Photo and a Misspelled Caption
The incident began on Monday, December 29, 2025, when Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, shared a black-and-white photo on the platform X. The image showed the 54-year-old musician smiling while seated next to a 79-year-old Donald Trump in a golf cart.
In his caption, Kid Rock wrote, "Golfed with your favorite President again recently and he played me a live version of James Brown and Pavirotti performing ‘This is a Mans World.’" He added, "Can’t believe I have never heard this. Incredible!" As reported by The Daily Beast, the post initially contained misspellings of both the song title and the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti's surname.
Newsom's Witty Retort
Responding swiftly, the official account for Governor Newsom's Press Office reposted the same image later that Monday. The response was brief and biting: "Cute couple." The post quickly garnered attention, highlighting the ongoing political tensions. HuffPost noted it sought comment from both Newsom's office and the White House regarding the exchange.
Context of an Ongoing Political Feud
This is not an isolated incident in the protracted public rivalry between the Democratic governor of California and the Republican former president. Newsom has repeatedly trolled Trump and his MAGA supporters, with both figures frequently taking public jabs at each other.
Just earlier in December 2025, Newsom mocked Trump for false claims made at a White House Christmas reception. Trump asserted he would have won California in the 2024 election if not for alleged cheating by the Democratic Party. Newsom responded on X with a clip of the comments and a simple, derisive reply: "Hahahahahahahahaha ok."
Meanwhile, Kid Rock has solidified his position as one of Trump's most fervent defenders. The musician has performed at Trump's rallies and publicly supported his policies, despite noted divisions within the broader MAGA movement itself.
The "cute couple" remark from Newsom's team is a pointed example of how political discourse continues to play out on social media, using humor and sarcasm to underscore deeper ideological divides. It reflects a strategy of engaging with and mocking political opponents directly in the public sphere where their supporters are active.
