Gavin Newsom roasts Karoline Leavitt with Labor Day ‘Hunger Games’ meme

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office sparked headlines on Labor Day after posting a meme targeting White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, depicting her as Effie Trinket, the eccentric aide to a tyrannical regime in 'The Hunger Games.'

The jab marked the latest in a string of trolling posts by Newsom’s office aimed at officials in the Trump administration, using pop culture references to draw unflattering comparisons.

Gavin Newsom likens Karoline Leavitt to Effie Trinket in pointed Labor Day meme

The Newsom press office shared an image of Karoline Leavitt photoshopped as Effie Trinket, holding a sign that read, “Happy Labor Day.”

The caption, “KAROLYIN’ LEAVITT says Happy Labor Day!,” appeared to equate the Trump administration to the fictional regime led by President Snow in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian series.

Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks in the films, serves as the extravagant mouthpiece of an authoritarian government that forces teenagers to fight to the death in a brutal spectacle known as the Hunger Games. 

The comparison suggested Leavitt, 28, is a loyal servant to a similarly oppressive power structure.

Newsom’s social media post targeting the White House press secretary sparked sharp backlash online, with critics blasting the tone as petty, creepy, and even racist.

One user said, “Wow that’s racist.” Others piled on, calling the account “creepy at this point” and “more pathetic by the post.”  

Another mocked, “They need new they thems to run Gavin’s account.” One more quipped, “You’re so bent out of shape that this young, smart, blonde mom is crushing it as press secretary. Is Gavin making you fight for her job?”

Gavin Newsom adopts Trump-style trolling to ‘hold a mirror to MAGA’

Over the past month, Gavin Newsom has intensified his social media offensive through both his personal account and his press office, mimicking Donald Trump’s all-caps rants and theatrical rhetoric. He frequently calls himself “America’s favorite governor” in parody posts.

“HAPPY LABOR DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT IS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY WITH A SICK WARPED RADICAL MIND,” the Newsom press office wrote. The account also posted a meme likening White House aide Stephen Miller to the 'Harry Potter' villain Lord Voldemort, continuing its theme of pop-culture mockery.

Karoline Leavitt, who joined the Trump campaign in 2024 and quickly rose to become press secretary, has earned frequent praise from the president. Earlier this month, Trump described her as sharp and fast on her feet: “It’s that face. It’s that brain. It’s those lips, the way they move. They move like she’s a machine gun.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.