Donald Trump just couldn't help himself. During King Charles III’s high-stakes visit to Washington this week, the White House social media team dropped a post that felt less like diplomacy and more like a middle finger to American history. A photo of Trump and the British monarch standing together, captioned simply: "TWO KINGS." It was a blatant shot at the "No Kings" protest movement that's been dogging the administration for months. While most Democrats spent the afternoon drafting polite, concerned press releases, California Governor Gavin Newsom decided to burn the whole thing down. Newsom’s response didn't just fact-check the post—it went for the throat.
The tweet that broke the internet
The White House post on X wasn't an accident. It featured a crown emoji and a slickly produced shot of Trump looking particularly smug next to the actual King of England. For an administration currently facing massive "No Kings" rallies in cities like New York and Los Angeles, the post was a deliberate "shitpost" meant to trigger the opposition.
It worked. MAGA influencers like Laura Ingraham were quickly online, laughing about how "humorless liberals" were seething. But they didn't count on Newsom having a better sense of humor—and a sharper tongue.
"One is the King of the UK," Newsom fired back from his press office account. "And the other is the King of Bullshit."
Short. Punchy. Mean. It racked up over half a million likes in three hours. Newsom knows exactly what he's doing. He’s positioning himself as the only Democrat who can actually trade blows with Trump in a digital mud-fight.
Why the Two Kings post is a mess for diplomacy
King Charles didn't fly across the Atlantic for a meme. He was here to talk about the 250th anniversary of American independence and the "vital importance" of the NATO alliance—a topic Trump has been publicly trashing lately. In his speech to a joint session of Congress, Charles emphasized that a U.S.-U.K. partnership is "more important than ever" to face global threats.
Then the White House turned his visit into a punchline. By framing Trump as a "king," the administration basically spit on the very concept of the American Revolution that Charles was here to commemorate. You don’t celebrate 250 years of independence by pretending the President is a monarch.
Newsom is playing a different game
While other potential 2028 contenders are playing it safe, Newsom is leaning into his role as the "Anti-Trump." He’s been on a tear lately. Just last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he told reporters that world leaders were "rolling over" for Trump and that he should have brought "kneepads" for them.
He's not just trolling for the sake of it. He's highlighting a genuine concern about the "imperial presidency" that many feel Trump is trying to build. When Trump told CBS News recently, "I'm not a king; if I were a king, I wouldn't be dealing with you," he thought he was being clever. Newsom isn't letting him get away with the joke.
The real impact of the No Kings movement
The "No Kings" protests aren't just about social media hashtags. They’ve become a rallying cry for people frustrated with:
- Rising living costs that the administration seems to ignore.
- Massive military deployments that feel like executive overreach.
- The general sense that the rule of law is being treated as a suggestion.
Newsom’s "King of Bullshit" comment hits home because it connects the White House’s online trolling with the actual grievances of voters on the ground. He’s telling his base that he sees the same arrogance they do.
What happens next for the California Governor
Expect Newsom to keep up this aggressive stance. He’s realized that the old Democratic playbook of "when they go low, we go high" doesn't work against a White House that treats X like a playground. He's going low, but he's doing it with a level of polish that makes the White House look amateurish.
If you want to keep track of how this feud develops, watch Newsom’s official channels over the next week. He’s likely to use this "Two Kings" blunder to fundraise for his own political action committees. He isn't just defending democracy—he's building a brand.
If you're tired of the standard political noise, keep an eye on how these two interact during the rest of the King's visit. It’s going to get uglier before it gets better. Don't expect any apologies from Sacramento. Newsom's already moved on to the next fight.
