California Gov. Gavin Newsom found a new angle for political theater this weekend, accusing President Donald Trump of perpetuating a "war on Christmas" after a Fox Business host told viewers to embrace fake trees and make room for AI infrastructure.
When Christmas Trees Meet Data Centers
"Donald Trump's war on Christmas continues!" Newsom posted on X, sharing a clip from Fox Business' "The Big Money Show" that's sure to delight anyone who enjoys the intersection of holiday sentiment and energy policy debates.
The controversy centers on host Dagen McDowell's comments about a proposed transmission project targeting Gaver Farm, a Christmas tree operation in Mount Airy, Maryland. The power lines would serve AI data centers in northern Virginia, because apparently artificial intelligence needs a lot of electricity.
Buy a Fake Tree, Says the Fox Host
When the farm's owners objected to having their land carved up, McDowell didn't mince words. "You know what? Buy a fake tree," she said, dismissing the concern with "It's a tree farm! Not growing food."
She made her case for progress: new power lines mean "growth and development of business," better "grid stability," and lower energy costs. "There will be transmission lines that have to go through developments and farms. That's the very nature of a growing economy. Like, everybody needs to get on board," McDowell told viewers.
Her co-hosts weren't having it. Brian Brenberg called the remark "a dagger right in my heart." McDowell pushed back, noting she owns a fake tree herself and can't afford the real thing anyway.
This isn't Newsom's first time weaponizing Christmas rhetoric against Trump. Back in October on NBC's "Meet the Press," he warned that Trump's tariffs would create a "war on Christmas" for working families stuck paying higher prices for toys and imports during the holiday season.
The Bigger AI Battle
Newsom's jab arrives just days after Trump signed an executive order aiming to strip states of their authority to regulate artificial intelligence. The order would centralize AI oversight at the federal level and threatens to withhold broadband funding from states that maintain stricter AI rules.
The California governor has consistently hammered Trump's approach to AI and energy policy, arguing it favors tech companies and fossil fuel interests while leaving communities to deal with higher power bills and land-use fights. The Christmas tree farm debate appears to be the latest flashpoint in what's shaping up as an ongoing federal-state showdown over who gets to control AI's future.