Gavin Newsom Caught Making Trump Deepfake After Passing Deepfake Ban
The California governor was flagged for violation of a law he had passed only hours earlier.
Sacramento, CA – In a staggering display of hypocrisy, California Governor Gavin Newsom was caught violating a law he passed mere hours earlier. The controversial "Anti-Deepfake Act," which bans the creation of AI-generated videos in California that mimic public figures, has been dubbed unconstitutional by critics and celebrated by corrupt government officials who can now sleep soundly knowing their reputations are safely guarded from internet trolls. However, the first violation of this absurd new law? None other than The Joker lookalike, Governor Newsom himself.
AI systems designed to detect violations of the deepfake ban quickly flagged several newly-uploaded videos, but one in particular stood out—a startlingly realistic video of Donald Trump admitting to planning the January 6th raid on the capitol, and bragging about colluding with Russia to rig the upcoming election. The AI generated deepfake video was traced back to an IP address located in Sacramento. After a brief investigation, it was revealed the culprit was none other than Gavin Newsom. The governor’s office quickly issued a statement: “Governor Newsom was conducting important research into how deepfakes may be used to harm public figures and never intended the video for public consumption."
The hypocrisy of Newsom’s move has drawn widespread criticism. The law was hastily passed in response to a viral AI parody video of Vice President Kamala Harris, which depicted her describing her own incompetence and corruption. In the video, Harris is heard laughing off the shocking lows of the Biden-Harris administration, adding "You ain't seen nothing yet." The video racked up millions of views on X (formerly Twitter), and Newsom wasn’t laughing. In fact, the Governor hinted at taking legal action against Elon Musk, the platform's owner, for allowing the video to be shared. "We cannot allow this kind of dangerous misinformation," Newsom stated, secretly plotting his own response video.
When asked about his own deepfake transgression, Newsom waved off accusations of hypocrisy, insisting that his Trump video was an attempt to raise awareness. “I was just trying to show how dangerous deepfakes can be… by making Trump confess to everything we accuse him of. It’s called performance activism,” Newsom said while tossing darts at an image of Trump.
The scandal echoes back to the infamous "French Laundry" debacle of 2020, when Newsom was caught attending a lavish dinner party in violation of his own COVID safety protocols. “This is just Newsom being Newsom,” said one California resident, nearly tripping over a junkie while dodging a pile of human excrement. “He tells us what to do, and then does the complete opposite. I half-expect him to announce a ban on hair gel next.”
Critics of the law argue that it is an egregious violation of free speech and the First Amendment, raising concerns about the overreach of government censorship. “Satire and parody are essential tools for holding those in power accountable,” said a constitutional law expert. “If we can’t poke fun at our leaders, especially when they do something ridiculous, we are inching dangerously closer to tyranny.”
In the end, this latest episode underscores the critical role that humor, satire, and free expression play in maintaining a free and open society. While deepfakes can certainly pose ethical challenges, the solution is neither to stifle creativity nor ban parody. Instead, it’s a reminder that politicians, like everyone else, should be free to laugh at themselves but should not weaponize the law to target political opponents and dissidents. After all, a world without satire is a world where the powerful go unchecked, and where we’re all expected to take them a little too seriously. What are your thoughts on the recent California law banning AI deepfakes? A necessary measure or pure tyranny? Let us know in the comments below.
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If I wasn't reading it on the Farce Feed, I would have thought it to be factual. You can never have enough sceptism when dealing with progressive hypocracy.
Dick Minnis removingthecataract.substack.com
we already have a fake government with fake leaders so AI deepfakes are just the icing on the cupcake.