California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted an AI-generated video on X showing President Trump, Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller in handcuffs, set to SZA’s "Big Boys." The clip was shared in response to a White House video that used the same song over ICE arrest footage, prompting public condemnation from SZA and criticism from Sabrina Carpenter. Newsom has previously used AI images to mock Trump, and recently said he had "softened" on the idea of a third Trump term while criticizing the likely duration of any future administration.
Newsom Posts AI-Generated Video Showing Trump, Hegseth and Miller in Handcuffs — SZA Condemns Music Use
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday posted an AI-generated video on X that depicts President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in handcuffs.
What the Video Shows
The short clip opens with the three men seated on an outdoor step, hands restrained behind them, while the onscreen text reads, "It’s cuffing season." It then cuts to the backseat of a car where the trio raise their cuffed hands toward their faces and appear to cry. The video ends with the men approaching courthouse doors as police, reporters and onlookers hold up phones to record the scene.
Music, Context and Response
The clip is scored with SZA's song "Big Boys" — the same track the White House used in a separate video that compiled Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest footage. The White House post read in part: "WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America."
SZA publicly condemned the White House's use of her music, writing on X that the administration was "rage baiting artists for free promo" and calling the tactic "peak dark" and "inhumanity." Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter also protested the use of her music in a similar ICE video, calling it "evil and disgusting."
Newsom's Past Use of AI
Newsom has previously used AI-generated images to lampoon Trump. In recent weeks he posted a fabricated image showing himself receiving a mock "inaugural Kohl's Peace Prize" after sharing a post about Trump and an alleged FIFA-related award. In October, Newsom’s campaign circulated an AI image placing Trump's face on Marie Antoinette to criticize proposed White House renovations and debates over health care and spending.
Political Context
Separately, Newsom said he had "softened" on the notion of Trump seeking a third term during an appearance on "The Jack Cocchiarella Show," despite the constitutional limit of two presidential terms. The governor, often mentioned as a potential 2028 Democratic contender, said of a possible future Trump administration: "His regime is going to be measured not in decades, but in years," adding with a sigh, "And that's comforting."
Note: The clip and subsequent reactions highlight growing tensions over the political use of AI and the appropriation of artists' music in political messaging.
