US Vice President JD Vance used a Fox News interview on 28 August to accuse California Governor Gavin Newsom of copying President Donald Trump’s political persona. “You can’t mimic the king. You can’t mimic the master,” Vance said, dismissing what he called Newsom’s attempts to mirror the president’s messaging and style. Newsom’s press office quickly fired back on social media, deriding Vance as a political lightweight whose national profile depends on Trump’s patronage. The exchange underscores the ongoing rhetorical feud between the Trump White House and the Democratic governor, who is widely viewed as positioning himself for a future presidential bid.