California governor Gavin Newsom trolls Trump using Emperor Palpatine voice to read L.A. protests post
The Hindu
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office releases provocative videos mimicking Star Wars villain to criticize President Trump online.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office escalated its public criticism of President Donald Trump on Wednesday by releasing a pair of provocative videos that mimic the voice and style of Star Wars villain Emperor Palpatine reading Trump’s own words.
Posted to TikTok via the Governor’s official press office, the videos appear to use AI-generated voiceover to dramatize recent Truth Social posts from Trump about the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles. One video features an orchestral score reminiscent of John Williams’ compositions and animated imagery of stormtroopers and star destroyers descending on a cityscape. A Palpatine-style voice delivers Trump’s words: “A once great American city, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals…”
A second clip repurposes footage from The Empire Strikes Back, overlaying Trump’s claims that “Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated” without his intervention. Both videos quickly gained traction online, drawing attention to the governor’s increasingly direct attacks on the president.
The social media campaign comes amid escalating tension between Newsom and Trump following the federal deployment of nearly 5,000 troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE raids and immigration enforcement tactics. Newsom condemned the move as a “brazen abuse of power” during a televised address Wednesday evening.
“What we’re witnessing is not law enforcement, it’s authoritarianism,” Newsom said, warning that Trump’s approach poses a broader threat to American democracy. “California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here.”
The federal action, which began June 7, includes National Guard units and 700 U.S. Marines stationed across downtown L.A., with curfews imposed by Mayor Karen Bass in coordination with local officials. Newsom, however, said the White House bypassed him entirely before federalising the Guard, and his administration has since sought legal action to regain control of the state’s troops.
Newsom’s legal team is attempting to secure a Temporary Restraining Order against Trump’s directive. So far, those efforts have been delayed, with a new court hearing set for June 12.
This year, Bharatnatyam artistes will present the Tyagaraja Aradhane as a dance performance
This year, Bharatnatyam artistes will present the Tyagaraja Aradhane as a dance performance
The actor, along with director Sushant Shah, speak about their upcoming series ‘Chiraiya’, Divya’s process of working on the dialect, Sushant’s approach to telling a story about women, and more
An independent video, ‘Feel the Spark’ by Raleigh Rajan with vocals by Ciera Dumas that celebrates Tamil literary giants, garnered 1.4 million views in less than 36 hours.
In ‘Jack Ryan: Ghost War’, John Krasinski is back as the savvy CIA analyst, diving headfirst into a high-stakes mission that unravels a deadly conspiracy and pits him against a rogue black-ops unit
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’s Shankarlal festival showcased rare ragas, radiant artistry, and inclusive performances, from Pt Madhup Mudgal’s serene morning ragas to Ramana Balachandran’s Saraswati veena.
Explore "Threads that Bind: The Kantha Project," an exhibition in Delhi reimagining kantha as a medium of repair and renewal.
Sean Penn skips the Oscars to meet Ukraine's Zelenskyy, who praises him as a "true friend" amid the war.
The teaser of Tamil star Suriya’s much-awaited film with director Venky Atluri, titled Vishwanath and Sons, was unveiled by the makers on Monday
A 'Golden' moment for a K-pop track at the Oscars.
Parvathi Nayar’s new exhibition, The Primordial, in Mumbai, traces oceans, pepper and climate change
Opened on March 12, the exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in Mumbai in nearly two decades. Known for her intricate graphite drawings and multidisciplinary practice spanning installation, photography, video, and climate change, her artistic journey has long engaged with the themes of ecology, climate change and the natural world. In this ongoing exhibition, these strands converge through a series of works centred on water, salt, and pepper — materials that carry natural and historic weight across centuries.
Explore the highlights and key winners of the 98th Academy Awards, featuring memorable moments and historic achievements from Oscars 2026.
Spring season celebrated at Ramakrishna Mission Institute, Kolkata, with ‘Evening of Basant’