Gavin Newsom did not mince his words when addressing Donald Trump’s post. He criticized the President for promoting a pair of gold sneakers while the U.S. faces economic strain and an escalating conflict with Iran.
The Governor’s Press Office drew attention to Trump’s Truth Social post by reposting it on X. Newsom’s post was straight to the point. “Your gas prices are skyrocketing. Your 401k is plummeting. But don’t worry, Donald Trump is laser-focused on selling his gold sneakers this morning.”
Trump had shared an advertisement for his trainers called the ‘Never Surrender High-Top Sneakers’. Printed on the photo is the text, “Rare Trump sneakers listed for $180k at sneaker con in Riyadh.”
Your gas prices are skyrocketing.
Your 401k is plummeting.
But don’t worry, Donald Trump is laser focused on selling his gold sneakers this morning. pic.twitter.com/u4u1s04I91
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 19, 2026
The trainers are gold with an American flag on the back and capital T on the side. Trump seems to love the color and has even incorporated gold in the White House decor. He first released the shoe in 2024. Speaking about it at Sneaker Con Philadelphia, he said that he had been wanting to launch the sneaker for over a decade. “I think it’s going to be a big success,” he said.
Newsom wasn’t resharing the post to help get the word out about the luxurious buy. He wanted to highlight that Trump’s priorities seemed misaligned. He was saying that Trump was focusing on his personal merchandise line instead of matters that concerned the U.S.
And many people agreed with the Governor. They liked the post and some even shared their comments. One person commented, “The timing on this one is genuinely something. Iran war escalating, oil prices going up, 401k bleeding.” They then pointed out that Trump was “promoting sneakers that nobody in Riyadh even bought.”
A common consensus was summed up when another posted, “So out of touch with reality!” An X user also alluded to Trump’s billionaire status, writing, “Trump has completed succeeded already in his one goal for his second term: to double his wealth at this country’s expense.”
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The attention Trump’s post received was not necessarily positive either. They thought the timing of the post was problematic.
The U.S. and Israel are still leading the attacks in a growing Middle East conflict that first began at the end of February. They launched joint strikes against Iran, taking out supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strikes have escalated into a full-blown war, with reports indicating that thousands have died. This includes U.S. military personnel whose lives have also been lost.
Many netizens said that the post is inappropriate and shows how out of touch Trump is during a time of war and a government shutdown. “We’re in a war, and he’s pawning sneakers,” a social media user said.
Others just couldn’t stop talking about how much the sneakers cost. “Is this actually selling or just for show?” one person wanted to know. Another asked, “180K for sneakers.”
Some people were disbelieving and said, “There is no way that this is real.” With a fourth adding, “This has to be a publicity stunt.” But there was no stunt. Only Trump promoting his sneakers and Newsom calling him out for it.
