Donald Trump’s Rose Garden got a controversial makeover and a fancy new title, and he showed it off in style. On Friday night, the president hosted nearly 100 lawmakers for a dress-to-impress dinner on the newly paved White House terrace, which he christened the “Rose Garden Club.”
From the podium, Trump beamed as he told his guests, “We call it the Rose Garden Club, and it’s a club for senators, for congresspeople, and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country.”
But California Gov. Gavin Newsom wasn’t impressed. The Democrat fired back on X with a savage two-word nickname that quickly went viral: “Predator Patio.” His press office shared the new moniker in a mocking post, declaring, “Welcome to Predator Patio! Admission? Just prove you’re on the Epstein List!” Within hours, the phrase had taken over social media and became shorthand for Trump’s newly unveiled garden hangout.
Welcome to Predator Patio! Admission? Just prove you’re on the Epstein List! pic.twitter.com/dUFrvnpfRF
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 7, 2025
The trolling didn’t stop there. In another post, Newsom mocked Republicans for “cheersing Diet Cokes” at an “exclusive club,” a line that ricocheted across political Twitter as a one-sentence roast of the entire event. His team also posted a meme of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dressed as Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games, unveiling the patio with the line: “INTRODUCING PREDATOR PATIO. MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.”
Critics had already raised eyebrows at the redesign itself. The traditional lawn was replaced with a sprawling limestone patio, complete with café tables, chairs and striped umbrellas that looked straight out of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Images from the event captured the country-club aesthetic, making it an easy target for Newsom’s social media hammer.
Our economy is in a downward spiral, but don’t worry — the @GOP are spending their time cheersing Diet Cokes at a new, exclusive “club.” https://t.co/Y49zgCwrQE
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 6, 2025
Newsom has been on a roll recently, mocking Trump in his own signature style. Adopting the president’s ALL CAPS cadence, Newsom has posted parody rants that mimic Trump’s voice while ridiculing his politics. In one, he called out Sen. JD Vance with: “COUCH BOY, I’M NOT MIMICKING DOZY DON. I’M MOCKING HIM. ONLY SOMEONE WITH A LAW DEGREE FROM CHUCK E. CHEESE COULD BE AS DUMB AS YOU!!! — GCN.” In another, he slammed NFL RedZone commercials while declaring himself “AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR.”
COUCH BOY, I’M NOT MIMICKING DOZY DON. I’M MOCKING HIM. ONLY SOMEONE WITH A LAW DEGREE FROM CHUCK E. CHEESE COULD BE AS DUMB AS YOU!!! — GCN https://t.co/NtS2TGcpjT
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 7, 2025
Even House Speaker Mike Johnson wasn’t spared. After Johnson praised Trump’s garden event, Newsom’s press office compared it to a Marie Antoinette moment, blasting Republicans for celebrating a patio while working families struggle. The message was clear: the governor sees the Rose Garden Club as out of touch, and he’s making sure the internet sees it that way too.
For Trump, the soirée doubled as a soft launch for the Rose Garden’s new identity. Reports noted he originally wanted tech titans like Bill Gates, Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg to be the first guests, but rain forced them indoors the night before. Instead, it was Republican lawmakers who got the honor of “founding members.”
At the end of the day, the Rose Garden Club was supposed to be a showcase of power and prestige. But thanks to Newsom, it may forever carry a different label. Trump wanted elegance, Newsom gave it a meme. And right now, the phrase Predator Patio is winning the branding war.
