California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom rolled out a string of Christmas-themed memes on social media targeting President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. Posted by Newsom’s press office on X, the images used satirical “wish lists” to lampoon the officials.
Why It Matters
Newsom has increasingly used his social media presence as a launchpad for political counterpunches, leaning into memes, parody captions and capital-letter punch lines that echo Trump’s online style. The strategy has attracted attention from political operatives — and, at least in polling, appears to be boosting Newsom’s visibility since early 2025.
What To Know
Each meme was framed with a festive border and presented as a tongue-in-cheek “Dear Santa” list.
One post, aimed at Trump, included the line: “More Crypto, Please! (I’ve only grifted an estimated $1.2 billion since becoming President!),” a jab tied to recent reporting on the president’s fundraising and digital asset ventures. The note was signed, “Love, Donald Trump.”
A second meme targeted Noem with two “requests”: “Another Rent-Free House for My Puppy!” and “Another Taxpayer-Funded Private Jet!” The “puppy” reference points to Noem’s account in her memoir that she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog. The private-jet line nods to reports alleging she lived in a state-owned residence without paying rent and traveled on taxpayer-funded flights.
A third post, attributed to Patel, read: “Another Fleet of Tax-Payer Funded BMWs! (Gotta look sharp!),” referencing earlier claims about travel and expense spending.
Each meme was paired with captions from Newsom’s office written in all-caps, using phrases like “Merry Griftmas” to sharpen the punchline.
The posts followed an earlier Christmas message from Newsom’s press office that also mimicked Trump’s online voice — complete with all-caps, nicknames and exaggerated insults — and was signed “GCN,” echoing Trump’s habit of signing off as “DJT.”
The Bigger Political Play
Newsom has closed out the year in a comparatively strong spot, buoyed in part by his direct and combative posture toward Trump. While many Democrats have largely limited their pushback to statements and press hits, Newsom has taken a more confrontational approach — including challenging federal immigration raids in court, resisting diversity rollbacks and casting himself as one of the party’s loudest critics of the administration.
He has also pointed to a rare policy win for Democrats: a ballot measure to redraw California’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. Among 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.
