Fact Check: Did People magazine publish Trump as Marie Antoinette over ballroom story?

WASHINGTON, DC: As the meme war between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump heats up, a viral claim has emerged that People magazine published a satirical image of Trump dressed as Marie Antoinette to accompany a story about the White House ballroom construction.

The buzz follows Newsom’s widely shared AI-generated image mocking Donald Trump dressed as Marie Antoinette, in response to news that work will continue on the White House presidential ballroom during the government shutdown. But did People magazine really run the image?

Fact Check: People magazine did not use image of Trump dressed as Marie Antoinette

Looking into the sources behind the viral but unverified claim, it’s clear the story is false. People magazine’s actual article featured a standard portrait of Donald Trump wearing a blue suit and red tie.

The widely shared fake screenshot used the genuine article’s headline and People logo, but the satirical image of Trump dressed as Marie Antoinette was digitally pasted over the original photo. This doctored screenshot first appeared in a post on X on October 1, 2025, by @GovPressOffice, the official press account of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Additionally, the altered screenshot had its sub-headline and byline removed. This spoof cover is part of a series of parodies created by Newsom.

Since both the fake and real articles share the same headline, “White House Will Continue Construction on 90,000-Square-Foot Ballroom During Government Shutdown,” the confusion spread quickly online. However, a thorough review confirms the image was manipulated and the claim is false.

Gavin Newsom trolls Trump with AI image showing him dressed as Marie Antoinette

Gavin Newsom mocked Donald Trump after news broke that work on Trump’s presidential ballroom would continue despite the government shutdown.

The California governor’s press office posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Trump ‘Marie Antoinette’ says, ‘No health care for you peasants, but a ballroom for the queen!’'” alongside the AI-generated image.

The picture shows Trump dressed like Marie Antoinette, the 18th-century French queen known for her extravagant lifestyle while her people suffered from hunger. Newsom has often copied Trump’s style of writing in all caps to make fun of him.

This latest jab came after reports revealed that construction on Trump’s new White House ballroom would go ahead, even though many federal agencies closed due to political deadlock over funding.

To provide context, Marie Antoinette, who was the queen of France during the 1789 Revolution, is famous for the phrase, “Let them eat cake,” which she supposedly said when told peasants had no bread to eat.

This quote symbolizes her out-of-touch attitude toward the suffering of common people.

Trump has shown great enthusiasm for his ballroom project.

When asked about coping with the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk last month, Trump quickly changed the topic and said, “I think very good. And by the way, right there you see all the trucks. They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get for about 150 years. And it’s gonna be a beauty. It’ll be an absolutely magnificent structure.”