Newsom's Press Office Accused of "Inappropriate Homophobic Joke" on Social Media

A recent tweet from Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD, on August 19, 2025, has ignited controversy, alleging that California Governor Gavin Newsom's official taxpayer-funded Press Office (@GovPressOffice) made an "inappropriate homophobic joke" in response to a musician. The incident reportedly occurred after a musician created a "catch music video" about Governor Newsom.

Hemmati's tweet, posted at 1:06 PM on August 19, 2025, stated: "> THIS is how @GavinNewsom official taxpayer funded @GovPressOffice responds to a musician who made a catch music video about Newsom. Making an inappropriate homophobic joke. Enough said." The specific content of the alleged joke and the identity of the musician or their video have not been independently detailed or widely reported beyond this social media post.

The accusation comes amidst a period where the Governor Newsom Press Office has adopted an increasingly aggressive and unconventional social media strategy. Recent reports indicate the office has been utilizing "all-caps threats, pop culture parodies and AI-edited meme content" on its official social media feeds, primarily aimed at mocking political opponents.

This shift in communication style was highlighted in an August 16, 2025, Newsweek article, which noted the press office's use of "flippant" remarks. One instance cited involved a response to a query about Texas Governor Greg Abbott, where Newsom's office reportedly commented, "oh like you are so woke, he will get over it." This pattern suggests a deliberate move towards a more confrontational and less formal tone in public communications.

While the exact nature of the alleged homophobic joke directed at the musician remains unverified, the tweet by Dr. Hemmati points to a potential escalation in the perceived edginess of the press office's social media interactions. Governor Newsom has historically taken a strong stance against homophobic content, notably condemning sexist, racist, and homophobic police videos in San Francisco in 2005 during his tenure as Mayor. The current allegation raises questions about the boundaries of official government communication on social media.