Newsom’s Press Office Trolls Trump’s New Passport with Parody Driver’s License Starring Himself

The troll announcement, written in Trump’s own voice, dropped hours after the State Department unveiled a limited-edition US passport featuring Trump’s portrait inside.

Hours after the State Department announced a limited-edition American passport featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait on the inside cover, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded with a parody of its own. A fake announcement, written in all caps and styled as a Trump impression, declared that California would soon issue a “very special” driver’s license starring Newsom’s face for every Californian.

The post, which dropped on April 28, read in full: “IN HONOR OF CALIFORNIA’S 175TH ANNIVERSARY, WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT A VERY SPECIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE FOR EVERY CALIFORNIAN THIS SUMMER! IT WILL FEATURE A HANDSOME, HIGH-QUALITY PHOTO OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM. MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT’S THE BEST LICENSE EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. THIS IS ABOUT CELEBRATING OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE (IT IS NOT ABOUT ME, DESPITE THE VERY HANDSOME PHOTO!). ENJOY!” It was signed “Governor GCN.”

The Trump passport that Newsom was responding to will roll out this summer for America’s 250th anniversary. It features Trump’s portrait on the inside cover and his signature in gold ink over imagery of the Declaration of Independence. The State Department plans a limited run of 25,000, available only by request at the Washington Passport Agency in DC. It is the first time a sitting US president has appeared inside an official American passport.

The Newsom press office has been posting Trump-style parodies since August 2025, after a series of policy fights with the White House over redistricting and other issues. Camille Zapata, Newsom’s digital director, is credited as the architect of the style. Newsom has publicly defended the press office’s strategy as a necessary evolution in Democratic messaging.

Earlier on April 28, the press office posted a separate satirical passport mock-up pairing Trump with Jeffrey Epstein. Neither the White House nor Trump has responded to either Newsom post.