California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom released a series of Christmas memes on social media aimed at President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. The posts, shared by Newsom’s press office on X, used satirical wish lists to mock them.
Why It Matters
Newsom has turned his social media channels into a platform for political counterattacks, leaning on memes, parody captions and capitalized slogans modeled after Trump’s online persona. The approach has drawn heightened attention from political strategists and appears to be paying off, with polls showing Newsom’s profile rising since early 2025.
What To Know
Each meme features a festive border and stylized “Dear Santa” list. The post targeting Trump includes the line, “More Crypto, Please! (I’ve only grifted an estimated $1.2 billion since becoming President!),” referencing recent reports on the president’s fundraising and digital asset ventures. It is signed, “Love, Donald Trump.”
The meme targeting Noem presents two “wishes”: “Another Rent-Free House for My Puppy!” and “Another Taxpayer-Funded Private Jet!” The “puppy” reference alludes to Noem’s admission in her memoir that she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog, while the private jet line refers to reports that she used a state-owned house without paying rent and traveled on flights funded by taxpayers.
A third meme, attributed to Patel, reads, “Another Fleet of Tax-Payer Funded BMWs! (Gotta look sharp!),” referencing prior travel and expense claims.
Each post was captioned with commentary from Newsom’s office, using all-caps and phrases like “Merry Griftmas” to mock the officials.
The memes followed an earlier Christmas message from Newsom’s press office that used all caps and nicknames to mock Trump and several Republican officials, including Noem, Vice President JD Vance, Patel and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Styled like Trump’s social media posts, it included all-capped exaggerated insults and was signed “GCN,” mimicking Trump’s use of “DJT.”
Newsom ended the year in a strong position, largely due to his direct and aggressive approach to Trump. While most Democrats limited their response to statements, the California governor challenged federal immigration raids in court, opposed diversity rollbacks and positioned himself as one of the party’s most outspoken critics of the president.
He also secured one of the few legislative wins for Democrats: a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional map, aimed at helping the party flip up to five House seats in the midterms.
What People Are Saying
Newsom, at a news conference in August: “If you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president.”
Mike Madrid, political strategist, to Newsweek: “Democrats are looking for a fighter. It’s not about ideology anymore. You can be centrist or progressive — what matters is that you stand up and hit back.”
Doug Gordon, Democratic strategist, to Newsweek: “His aggressive social media speaks to and energizes a small group of people who spend a lot of time online. But social media is not real life, and most voters will never see it.”
What Happens Next
A December CNN poll showed Newsom leading among potential Democratic candidates mentioned by voters for the 2028 presidential race. Of the 14 percent who named a Democrat, 6 percent chose Newsom, ahead of former Vice President Kamala Harris at 3 percent and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 2 percent.
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