California Governor Gavin Newsom mocked Vice President JD Vance—and his love of couches—with an AI-generated video to troll him over the rising costs of goods due to President Donald Trump's retaliatory tariffs.
Earlier this week, Trump announced new tariffs: 10% on softwood timber and lumber, and 25% on “certain upholstered wooden products,” set to take effect October 14. The move follows Trump’s announcement last week of additional tariffs on kitchen cabinets, vanities, and other upholstered products, which will take effect October 1.
That prompted Newsom to share a video featuring a viral meme of Vance with a round face and long, curly hair, mockingly presenting “A History of Couches.” The clip referenced the now-infamous—though untrue—rumor that Vance wrote about having sex with a couch in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
In the video, "Vance" discusses the history and "elegance" of the Chesterfield style of leather sofa before hinting at the viral rumor:
"Some artifacts shape nations. Some shape desires. Few shape both. The Chesterfield couch is one of them." ...
"There are rumors that I once had an encounter with a Chesterfield. People exaggerate, twist the truth, but when you sit on one, you understand where such stories come from."
"The Chesterfield isn't just furniture, it's an experience, and some of us know that a little too well."
Newsom accompanied the video with the following caption mocking Vance and the White House's tariffs in one fell swoop:
"POOR JD! HIS SWEET BELOVED COUCH NOW COSTS MORE WITH THE TARIFFS!"
You can see Newsom's post and the video below.
People couldn't resist trolling Vance themselves after that.
Trump claimed in a social media post that his tariffs on wood and cabinets and furniture will "strengthen supply chains, bolster industrial resilience, create high-quality jobs, and increase domestic capacity utilization for wood products such that the United States can fully satisfy domestic consumption while also creating economic benefits through increased exports."
In March, the White House directed the Commerce Department to investigate whether imported lumber, most of which comes from Canada, poses a national security risk. Trump has said the U.S. has enough trees to meet its own needs and has also railed against Canadian tariffs on U.S. lumber.
However, experts warn the new tariffs could backfire, raising lumber and construction costs and driving housing prices even higher. Economists and homebuilders note that domestic production capacity is insufficient to meet demand, meaning steep tariffs on Canadian imports could worsen the housing affordability crisis.
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