California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a pointed social media attack against President Donald Trump on August 25, 2025, comparing the president’s administration to North Korean leadership after Trump publicly boasted about his relationship with dictator Kim Jong Un.
The confrontation began after the Department of Labor promoted a photo on the social media platform X showing a huge banner draped over the Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. The banner featured a scowling Trump next to the words “AMERICAN WORKERS FIRST,” displayed alongside a similar image of Theodore Roosevelt.
Newsom responded with a characteristic parody of Trump’s social media voice, posting “THANK YOU, GLORIOUS LEADER!” The caption accompanied a photo showing a large mural in Pyongyang depicting former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
The governor’s jab came hours after Trump had publicly praised his relationship with Kim Jong Un during an Oval Office meeting. Trump told an audience he looks forward to seeing the North Korean leader, stating he knows him better than anybody almost, with the exception of Kim’s sister.
Trump brought up the North Korean dictator again during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the Oval Office on Monday. After Lee noted that North Korea had further developed its nuclear and missile capabilities during the four years Trump was out of office, the president expressed interest in meeting with Kim Jong Un again.
Lee indicated he hoped Trump would usher in a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, to which Trump replied he would accomplish that through talks. Trump claimed Kim Jong Un would like to meet with him and emphasized their relationship, stating he understands the North Korean leader and spent significant free time discussing matters they probably were not supposed to talk about.
This marks the second time Newsom has drawn comparisons between Trump and authoritarian rulers. In June 2025, after the president sent 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to subdue largely nonviolent anti-ICE protests, the governor accused Trump of provoking violence and acting like a dictator rather than a president.
In a social media post from June, Newsom outlined what he described as authoritarian actions, such as instigating violence, spreading widespread disorder, deploying military forces in cities, and detaining political adversaries. The governor’s criticism came as tensions escalated between state and federal authorities over immigration enforcement policies.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Democratic governors who have criticized his administration’s policies and rhetoric. Newsom’s use of North Korean imagery appears calculated to draw attention to what he perceives as authoritarian tendencies in Trump’s governance style.
Trump’s public statements about his relationship with Kim Jong Un have consistently emphasized personal diplomacy over traditional diplomatic channels. The president’s approach to North Korea has included previous summit meetings and public displays of what he characterizes as mutual respect between the leaders.
The Department of Labor’s decision to prominently display Trump’s image on a federal building represents part of broader efforts by the administration to increase the president’s visibility in government communications and facilities across Washington, D.C.
