Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) snapped back at Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) over an AI-generated image that depicts Cruz as a dog, as the two quarreled on X over rising gas prices.
“Gavin, you’re a clown who gave Californians $6 gas, sat idle while your state burned & chased hundreds of thousands of jobs (including Chevron) to Texas. Thank you! And it worries me that you’re fantasizing about me in a dog collar…” Cruz said.
Recommended Stories
The feud started on May 21, when Newsom posted on X, telling Californians to avoid Chevron gas stations for the Memorial Day weekend and that cheaper, unbranded gas meets the same standards as name-brand gas.
Newsom added pictures of a map in the post, with prices for gas stations right next to each other at different prices.
Cruz posted a picture of Chevron gas prices in Texas on Tuesday. He slammed Newsom, saying, “Hey Gavin—the problem isn’t Chevron, it’s California’s stupid energy policies…”
Newsom has come under fire for gas prices in California. The average price sat at $6 per gallon on May 28, according to AAA.
Newsom then trolled Cruz with an AI-generated photo, depicting him as a lap dog being doted on by Chevron.
“Chevron Cruz is a good boy,” the caption said.
The AI photo showed Cruz with a collar, dog tag, and a big bowl of kibble, while Chevron pats his head. The dog bowl said, “Chevron’s lapdog.” Cruz’s AI-generated face had a happy and satisfied look, surrounded by money.
Newsom’s post could be referring to Cruz’s support of overturning a legal doctrine known as the “Chevron deference” or the “Chevron doctrine.” In 2024, the Supreme Court overturned that precedent, which was set in 1984.
RISING GAS PRICES ARE CAUSING VOTERS TO RECONSIDER VOTING FOR GOP: POLL
The “Chevron deference” allowed “unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats to wield enormous power in deciding how to interpret the law, and shifted decision-making from democratically elected members of Congress to the permanent bureaucracy,” Cruz said in a statement back in 2024.
Overturning the doctrine aligns with conservative legal values, such as the traditional view that Congress writes laws and the courts interpret them.
“The Court did the right thing in returning decision-making to elected members of Congress the way the Constitution envisioned it,” Cruz said.
The Supreme Court’s decision also revived the debate on whether environmental and consumer protections were weakened with its overturning of the doctrine, and in a state like Texas, where oil is king, there are major concerns.
Cruz snapped back at Newsom’s post, responding on X Thursday with an AI-generated photo of Newsom as a clown, complete with iconic hair tufts and face paint.
This is not the first time Newsom’s press office has trolled a politician.
CRUZ WARNS REPUBLICANS SHOULDN’T TAKE TEXAS SENATE RACE FOR GRANTED
In April, Newsom mocked President Donald Trump’s limited-edition passports and released their own design for the “BEST LICENSE EVER MADE,” complete with a picture of Newsom and a large mountain range behind him.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Cruz and Newsom for comment.
