California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday sharply criticized President Donald Trump for hosting an exclusive event at a newly renovated portion of the White House Rose Garden, calling out what he described as poor timing amid economic strains and joining his press office in mocking the space with a biting nickname.
Newsom wrote on X, "Our economy is in a downward spiral, but don’t worry — the GOP are spending their time cheersing Diet Cokes at a new, exclusive ‘club.’" His press office account rebranded the space, tweeting, "Welcome to the Predator Patio!"
The governor’s communications account also reposted a photo from the event by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and wrote, "After ripping health care from 17 million Americans and slashing food stamps for kids, we’re glad Mike ‘Marie Antoinette’ Johnson and his boy friends had time to toast the grand opening of the Predator Patio." In a separate post, the account depicted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as a character from The Hunger Games, and it published a mock closing date for the patio — Jan. 20, 2029, which it identified as Trump’s potential final day in office.
Trump, speaking at the event Friday, said, "We call it the Rose Garden Club. And it’s a club for senators, for congresspeople and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country." The refurbishment included paving over a portion of the Rose Garden lawn to create an expanded patio area that hosted the gathering of congressional Republicans and other allies.
Newsom has repeatedly used his official and campaign-linked social accounts to lampoon Trump and his allies, and his office has leaned into a confrontational tone in recent weeks. At a news conference last month, the governor said the social media posts were intended to hold the president’s behavior up to scrutiny, adding, “We’re putting a mirror up to the lunacy that is Trump’s tweets, and his grift, the madness that is someone that would dress up as the pope and tweet that out or put his face up there on Mount Rushmore, or in a Superman costume. So I do think it’s important to put that mirror, that lens, back and have everyone reflect on it and say, ‘Have we accepted this as normal?’ Why aren’t we calling this out more clearly?”
The back-and-forth underscores growing partisan tensions over symbolism, messaging and priorities as Republicans in Congress press their agenda and Democrats criticize those moves amid ongoing public concerns about inflation and labor market indicators. Newsom framed his posts as a response to what he described as economic hardship affecting Americans, while the White House defended the gathering as a meeting of lawmakers and allies.
The exchange is the latest example of how social media and rapid-fire communications are being used by governors, presidents and their teams to shape political narratives. Newsom’s tweets and his office’s posts were widely shared by liberal commentators and media outlets, drawing attention to the White House renovation and prompting commentary from both supporters and critics in Washington.
Neither the White House nor Johnson’s office immediately responded to requests for comment on the nickname or the governor’s posts. The debate over the patio and its portrayal by Newsom’s team is likely to persist as both parties continue to use public events and online messaging to mobilize supporters ahead of forthcoming election cycles.