Gavin Newsom impersonator Josh Meyers sets the internet ablaze with incredible spoof of California governor: 'I only vape Merlot'
- Josh Meyers, 48, has been on TV for years, including brother Seth's NBC show
- Meyers has been doing the impression for over a decade on various comedies
- His performance of Newsom on Jimmy Kimmel's show has gone viral
A comedian's vape-toting, fratty impersonation of liberal California Governor Gavin Newsom exaggerating the lefty's eccentricities has made a viral mark.
Josh Meyers, 48, has been on TV and in movies for decades, including several seasons on MADtv and Date Movie.
He's also the brother of 'Late Night' host Seth Meyers, but it's on a different talk show where he's made the Newsom character - which he calls a mix of a frat boy and Jeff Spicoli from 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' - a favorite.
Meyers has been doing the impression for over a decade, including on a mock talk show called 'The Gavin Newsom Show' that aired on the Al Gore-owned Current TV. He's even performed the impression on his brother's NBC show.
However, it's on Jimmy Kimmel's show where the impression has caught the notice of viewers and even the governor himself.
A comedian's impersonation of liberal California Governor Gavin Newsom exaggerating the lefty's eccentricities has made a viral mark
Meyers performs his impression of Newsom - whom he calls a 'central casting' politician - as an even bigger liberal caricature than the governor comes off as in real life but perhaps more of a typical 'Hollywood bro' type.
'There's a bit of just stereotypical Cali, which I think the rest of the country resonates with pretty strongly, and it just makes him fun because he is so smart and he is so well-read and he's so good off the cuff,' he says of the impression.
In one sketch, he offers to share his vape amid a faux commercial promoting his expansion of access to drugs, before telling a constituent 'I only vape Merlot.'
At one point, Meyers as Newsom says he would make 'vaping mandatory in offices, hospitals and Ferrari dealerships.'
In another bit, he takes the governor's obsession with solar power and wonders if he can harness the power of the moon: 'What about lunar power?'
Kimmel has also had Meyers parody the governor's infamous Fox News debate with Ron DeSantis, performing a fake battle with MyPillow impresario Mike Lindell.
There are more serious criticisms of Newsom, like when he was caught dining out against COVID-19 regulations during the peak of the pandemic.
He joked of the difficult decision Newsom made, such as: 'whether to order the Monterey Bay abalone gratin or the Devil's Gulch rabbit. Just kidding, it's a prix fixe menu, so you get it all.'
Josh Meyers, 48, has been on TV and in movies for decades, including several seasons on MADtv and Date Movie
Meyers critique comes from a California native who told the San Francisco Chronicle he likes Newsom and is a liberal himself.
However, he says his anti-Newsom friends have appreciated his critique of the man some have pitched as a replacement for Joe Biden.
'I have friends who definitely don't like Newsom, and they'll text me and say, 'Oh, keep ripping him.' And then I have friends that like him, and they say, 'We really enjoyed it.' So I like that,' he said.
The Chronicle has fact-checked the impression, noting that while Newsom is pro-legalization of drugs, he has never smoked marijuana himself.
'He's slick and he's handsome, and there is so much in him for his supporters to love and his detractors to hate,' Meyers said.
He began doing the impression during the pandemic via a green screen he set up in his garage. His brother put it on the air.
The impression has even made a mark with the governor, who spoke to Meyers' brother about it on a recent episode of his show.
Newsom called it 'next level, … but I don't want to admit that,' with his 14-year-old saying Meyers is 'so much cooler' than the real man.
The real Newsom called the impression 'next level, … but I don't want to admit that,' with his 14-year-old saying Meyers is 'so much cooler' than the real man
Meyers initially performed the impression in late night on his brother Seth's NBC show
Meyers has done the impression on several shows and plans to continue in the lead up to the election, where Newsom will likely be active in campaigning for Joe Biden.
Most recently, social media was doing the mockery when Newsom posted a selfie at the US/Mexico border.
The video shows Newsom in a pair of aviator sunglasses and dress shirt standing at the border in southern California near Tijuana with the fence stretched out behind him.
'This is the San Ysidro port of entry, not to far away which is the largest in the western hemisphere,' Newsom said in the video. 'We just down here with the National Guard meeting with customs agents as well as border control, talking about our partnerships.'
Newsom said they have 390 National Guard members focused on fentanyl in California.
'Look, at the bottom line, end of the day, they need more resources,' Newsom said.
It sparked an avalanche of criticism from Republicans and Newsom critics online.
California Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher fired back on X.
Meyers has done the impression on several shows and plans to continue in the lead up to the election, where Newsom will likely be active in campaigning for Joe Biden
Kimmel has also had Meyers parody the governor's infamous Fox News debate with Ron DeSantis, performing a fake battle with MyPillow impresario Mike Lindell
'Thousands of Californians have been poisoned by fentanyl flowing across the border-now that we’re 5 months from an election, @GavinNewsom finally decides to act,' he wrote.
'How many lives would have been saved if he’d done this years ago instead of waiting till it’s politically convenient?'
His post was retweeted by other Republican assembly members. California Republicans accused the state Democratic leader and close President Biden ally of 'dragging his feet on adding state resources.'
