In the endless circus of American politics, where egos clash louder than cymbals and awards are handed out like candy at a bad costume party, California Governor Gavin Newsom just pulled off the troll of the year. Fresh off President Donald Trump’s awkward acceptance of the freshly minted FIFA Peace Prize – a shiny trinket critics are calling a “consolation soccer ball” after his Nobel snub – Newsom didn’t just dunk on the commander-in-chief. He turned the mockery into performance art, enlisting none other than Stephen Colbert for a Late Show segment that had the audience roaring and Trump’s camp fuming. But wait: Newsom didn’t just laugh it off. He claimed his own absurd “peace prize” on national TV, complete with a fake trophy and a side-eye that screamed, “Hold my kombucha.” If you thought the 2026 World Cup draw was cringeworthy, this takedown is the knockout punch.

Let’s rewind to the scene of the crime. It was Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where the glitz of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group draw mingled with the stench of political opportunism. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, ever the sycophant in Trump’s orbit, surprised everyone – or no one, depending on your cynicism level – by unveiling the “inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.” Trump, strutting in like he owned the pitch, was handed a golden medal, a trophy, and a certificate praising his “exceptional actions to promote peace and unity.” Infantino gushed that the award, created just weeks after Trump lost the Nobel to Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado, honored the president’s “unwavering commitment.” Trump, beaming under the spotlights, quipped about “settling eight wars” before pivoting to a bizarre rant about CNN’s Kaitlan Collins being “stupid and nasty” for questioning the timing. The crowd? A mix of polite claps and eye-rolls. Online? Instant meme apocalypse, with #FIFASnub trending faster than a penalty kick.

Enter Newsom, the slick-haired maestro of shade from Sacramento. The California governor has made a cottage industry out of mimicking Trump’s bombastic Truth Social rants via his press office’s X account – think all-caps screeds about “FAKE NEWS” but with a progressive twist. But this? This was next-level. On Monday, December 8, Newsom didn’t settle for a tweet. He jetted to New York for a prime-time ambush on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, turning the FIFA fiasco into a full-blown comedy roast. Colbert, fresh off his own Nobel-themed jabs at Trump, welcomed Newsom with open arms and a prop desk piled high with gag awards. “Gavin, you’ve trolled Trump harder than a midfielder in stoppage time,” Colbert deadpanned, holding up a foam Nobel knockoff. “But after that FIFA fever dream, isn’t it time you got your own peace prize? Something… fitting?”

Cue the fireworks. Newsom, grinning like the cat that ate the canary, pulled out a comically oversized trophy engraved with “The Inaugural Kohl’s Peace Prize – For Outstanding Achievement in Holding the Line on Sanity.” The crowd erupted as he hoisted it triumphantly, an AI-generated graphic flashing on the screen: Newsom in a tux, shaking hands with a pixelated Infantino while Trump sulks in the background with a deflated soccer ball. “WOW! TERRIFIC NIGHT ACCEPTING THE FIRST-EVER KOHL’S PEACE PRIZE!!!” Newsom bellowed in his best Trumpian baritone, channeling the president’s signature style. “AUDIENCE WAS AMAZING. TRUMP AND HIS MINI-ME INFANTINO LET THE WHOLE WORLD GO TO HELL!! I TOLD THEM AS TRUMP DOZED OFF: RENAME IT THE NEWSOM OUTLET – 70% OFF ABSURDITY!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! – GCN.” The studio audience lost it, with one woman shouting, “Take my vote!” as confetti shaped like tiny shopping carts rained down.

But this wasn’t just zinger theater; it was a masterstroke of political judo. Newsom’s bit doubled as a sly nod to everyday Americans – Kohl’s, the Midwestern mall staple, symbolizing the “participation trophy” vibe of Trump’s award. “Look, if FIFA’s handing out peace prizes like Black Friday doorbusters, why not level the playing field?” Newsom told Colbert post-segment, dropping the act for a moment of earnest fire. “Trump’s out here threatening wars with Venezuela one breath and grabbing a made-up medal the next. It’s not leadership; it’s a midlife crisis with a side of soccer. We’re better than this – or at least, we should be.” Colbert, wiping tears of laughter, fired back: “Gavin, if you win the White House in ’28, does the Oval Office come with a returns desk?” The exchange clocked 12 million views on CBS’s stream by Tuesday morning, with X exploding in a frenzy of remixes and reactions.

The timing couldn’t have been more deliciously diabolical. Trump’s FIFA moment came hot on the heels of his October Nobel lobbying flop, where he reportedly pressured Infantino to “fix” the oversight. Critics, from The New York Times to Reddit’s r/politics, slammed the prize as a “pathetic and humiliating” vanity project – no criteria, no nominees, just a rushed ribbon for the ego. Newsom’s response? A viral thread on X that racked up 2.5 million likes, featuring side-by-side memes: Trump awkwardly self-medaling versus Newsom “accepting” his Kohl’s coup with a wink. “Peace isn’t a prop,” one post read. “It’s policy. Like protecting reproductive rights while your opponent’s building walls.” Fans piled on: “Newsom for Prez – at least his prizes come with coupons!” quipped one user, while another dubbed it “The Piece of Sh*t Prize” in a nod to Trump’s detractors.

Of course, the White House fired back – or tried to. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed it as “sour grapes from a failing governor whose state is a dumpster fire,” but the barb landed flat amid Trump’s own gaffes, like confusing the World Cup draw with a “peace summit.” Meanwhile, Newsom’s troll fest has supercharged his national profile. Polls show his favorability spiking 4 points in swing states, with Democrats buzzing about a 2028 run. “It’s not just funny; it’s fearless,” said one DNC strategist. “He’s showing how to fight fire with farce.” Even Colbert, in his monologue, called it “the only peace prize worth wearing – because it doesn’t come with strings, or Gianni’s phone number.”

As the dust settles on this latest chapter of the Trump-Newsom grudge match, one thing’s clear: In the arena of American absurdity, Gavin Newsom isn’t just playing defense. He’s scoring own goals for the other side, one satirical trophy at a time. Will it propel him to the big leagues? Or is it just another round in the endless roast? Either way, with Trump clutching his FIFA bling and Newsom hawking Kohl’s coupons, 2025’s political theater just hit overtime. And honestly? We’ll take the laughs where we can get them – because in this league, peace might be the real participation trophy.