During an interview, California Governor Gavin Newsom sat in a position that generated significant buzz on social media. The serious political conversation turned into an unexpected viral moment. He recently made an appearance at the New York Times Dealbook Summit. During this, he sat in an unusually tight, cross-legged pose, which viewers online immediately labelled “painful to watch.”
Gavin Newsom’s recent sitting pose has got the internet talking
Governor Newsom was on stage with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin. He talked about the state of the Democratic Party and argued that Democrats need to feel “more culturally normal” and “a little less judgmental” to connect with voters. As he spoke, cameras caught him with his legs firmly crossed and one foot stretched far out from the chair. It was a tense position that looked like a yoga pose.
Once photos and clips from the summit hit social media, the posture quickly overshadowed the policy talk. It was the only thing that the viewers could focus on. They zoomed in on the way he’d folded himself into the chair and began firing off jokes about how uncomfortable it looked.
One person quipped, “If your legs were crossed any further, you’d be a pretzel,” while another wrote, “Lmao. Never trust anyone who sits like that.”
Others framed the pose as a metaphor for the political pressure Newsom is under, joking that the governor seemed wound up in more ways than one. “At least he’s crushing something,” one commenter snarked, as the image surfaced across X. Users commented how hard the chair chat was to watch.
Beyond his comments on the Democratic Party and national issues like the National Guard, Newsom also talked to Halle Berry. The actress aimed at his policies. As of right now, Gavin Newsom has not responded directly to the memes.
