California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again going after President Donald Trump, this time mocking him with a stinging reminder to “take your dementia meds, grandpa.” The jab came after Trump launched into another fiery post on Truth Social, recycling old accusations and spreading new claims that critics say are completely baseless.
The spark for the latest clash was Trump’s online outburst on Tuesday. He accused Newsom of being on the verge of approving low-income housing in Pacific Palisades, one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods. He framed the idea as deeply unfair to residents who he claimed had already suffered enough.
“Shockingly, I have just learned, that Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, is in final stages of approval to build Low Income Housing in Pacific Palisades. How unfair is that to the people that have suffered so much!” Trump posted.
Newsom’s press team wasted no time responding. They fired back on X with a sharp retort that went viral almost instantly.
“Take your dementia meds, grandpa. You are making things up again,” the governor’s office wrote.
Take your dementia meds, grandpa. You are making things up again. https://t.co/L40ONrAK7U pic.twitter.com/RTrHO3TkhO
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 16, 2025
The statement came with a fact-check. According to Newsom’s team, there is no state-led effort to build low-income housing in Pacific Palisades. They pointed to a Los Angeles Times report that already debunked rumors suggesting new developments would push wealthy residents out of the area.
The clarification also explained that the governor does not issue housing permits and that there is no such thing as a federal housing permit in the first place. In short, Trump’s accusation was completely detached from how the system actually works.
The fight did not stop at housing. Newsom’s office also revisited Trump’s repeated claims about California’s wildfire response earlier this year. The president has often accused Newsom of refusing “hundreds of millions of gallons of water” from the Pacific Northwest that supposedly could have helped extinguish January’s devastating wildfires.
Experts have long dismissed that allegation as nonsense. The water systems in the Pacific Northwest are not connected to California’s firefighting needs. Newsom’s team called it another example of the president inventing a narrative to score political points.
This is not the first time Newsom has taken direct shots at Trump. The California Democrat has become one of the president’s loudest antagonists, often mocking Trump’s signature all-caps rants with sarcastic social media posts of his own.
This time, Newsom was not alone. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also joined the chorus of critics on Tuesday. Pritzker, who has already clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy, said the president’s behavior is increasingly erratic.
“I have said before that you cannot take anything he says seriously from one day to the next,” Pritzker told reporters. “Sometimes he forgets, sometimes he changes his mind overnight. Honestly, I think he might be struggling with some form of dementia. I have never counted on anything he says as real. It is very hard to believe anything that comes out of his mouth.”
The White House quickly hit back. In a statement to The Daily Beast, spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the accusations from both Democratic governors.
“Newsom and Sloppy JB are two peas in a pod,” Jackson said. “Not only are they stupid, but they are forcing their states to suffer under failed left-wing policies because of their severe Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The war of words comes at a time when Trump’s health is facing more scrutiny than ever. Observers have pointed out visible signs such as a bruised hand, swollen ankles, a drooping appearance in his face, and moments that appear to show forgetfulness. These observations have fueled questions about his physical and mental condition.
Still, the White House has pushed back strongly. To reassure supporters, they leaned on Trump’s former physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson, who continues to defend the president’s health at every opportunity.
“As President Trump’s former personal physician and White House doctor for 14 years under three administrations, I can say without question that he is the healthiest president this nation has ever had,” Jackson declared. “I remain in touch with his current medical team and still spend significant time with him. He is mentally and physically sharper than ever before.”
For Newsom, the sharp attacks serve a political purpose. By mocking Trump directly and drawing national attention, he strengthens his own profile as one of the Democratic Party’s most aggressive counterweights to the administration. For Trump, the exchange allows him to energize supporters who see Democratic leaders as obsessed with him.
As the election season heats up, neither man shows signs of backing down. Instead, the exchanges seem destined to get sharper, louder, and more personal.
