California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday blasted President Donald Trump for unveiling mocking plaques at the White House while Americans face rising prices, calling the displays a tone-deaf distraction from economic pain.
Newsom Ties Mocking Plaques To Rising Costs
On X, Newsom wrote, “Inflation is up. Unemployment is up. Grocery prices are up. Electricity costs are up. And Donald Trump is spending his time doing this…”
Newsom was reacting to plaques Trump added on his “Presidential Walk of Fame” along the West Wing colonnade, where captions beneath portraits mock predecessors’ records and mirror Trump’s social-media attacks.
According to a report by the Associated Press, a plaque for Joe Biden reads, “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President,” while Barack Obama is branded “one of the most divisive political figures” and linked to the “Russia Hoax.”
White House Defends Plaques As ‘Historical Perspective’
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement shared with CBS, said the plaques are “eloquently written descriptions of each President” and that “many were written directly by the President himself,” arguing they simply reflect Trump’s “historical perspective.”
Newsom’s criticism comes as inflation runs about 3.1% year-over-year in late 2025, up from roughly 3% in September, based on Consumer Price Index trends and forecasts. Labor Department figures show unemployment at 4.6% in November, a two-year high that economists say is adding to voter anxiety over jobs and wages.
Rising Costs Fuel Broader Political Backlash
Meanwhile, government reports indicate grocery, or “food at home,” prices rising around 3% over the past year, extending a multi-year stretch of elevated food inflation. Elsewhere, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data this month shows that average residential electricity bills have climbed about 13% since Trump returned to office, reflecting national price increases and double-digit spikes in some regions as utilities pass along higher fuel and grid costs.
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said, “It’s just sickening to see the level of staff willing to enable him.” Newsom had earlier this month mocked the colonnade as a “Presidential Walk of Fatigue” in a meme of Trump appearing to doze.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com
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