Newsom slammed for skipping Biden in post praising Obama as president with ‘functioning brain’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office faced a wave of criticism on Thursday, April 2, after a social media post appeared to have skipped former President Joe Biden while expressing nostalgia for a leader with a "functioning brain." 

The post, which featured an image of Barack Obama, was quickly called out by observers for omitting the Democratic president who served between Obama and the current administration.

Gavin Newsom’s office faces backlash for Biden omission

The Governor Newsom Press Office X account, known for its humorous and aggressive tone, shared a message asking followers to repost "if you miss having a President with a functioning brain."

The post included a photo of Barack Obama but made no mention of Joe Biden.

This omission quickly went viral, as Biden’s presidency was frequently marked by public speculation regarding his mental acuity.

Critics argued that by jumping from Obama to the present, Newsom’s team was implicitly acknowledging these concerns.

Critics mock Gavin Newsom's team over social media oversight

The internet was quick to highlight the oversight, with several prominent voices mocking the office.

Podcaster Stephen L Miller quipped, "They skipped someone," while the official account for the Republican Party took a more personal jab.

Referencing Newsom’s well-known struggle with dyslexia, they wrote, "We know you ‘can’t read’ but remember posting this?"

Their post included a screenshot of a previous birthday message from Newsom’s account that had explicitly praised Biden for having a "functioning brain."

Gavin Newsom’s press office shifts tone following backlash

Following the backlash, Newsom’s press office attempted to shift the focus by posting about Biden again, though they chose a different attribute to highlight.

"RT if you miss having a President with empathy," the account wrote, pivoting away from the topic of intellect.

However, conservative commentator Jeff Blehar mocked the scramble for damage control by sharing a meme of a goose chasing someone and asking, "Who did you omit there, Gavin? WHO DID YOU OMIT?" 

Gavin Newsom’s office attempts to distance itself from controversy

The office did not stop there and decided to post about Kamala Harris as well.

In that post, they wrote, "if you miss having a Vice President who was respected around the world."

Even with these extra posts, many people felt the original message had already done the damage by making it look like Newsom's team was trying to distance themselves from Biden’s legacy.

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