Gavin Newsom Sends Karoline Leavitt Into the "Hunger Games" - and the Internet Cheers

When California Governor Gavin Newsom strikes, he strikes hard - and this time it was Karoline Leavitt who got hit. Over Labor Day weekend, his press office dropped a meme depicting the 28-year-old White House Press Secretary as Effie Trinket from the "Hunger Games" - the flamboyantly costumed character who solemnly selects candidates for death in the dystopian blockbuster. Next to it was the line that has become iconic for fans: "May the odds be ever in your favor."

The tweet was more than just a jab. It was a calculated provocation at a time when Newsom is increasingly positioning himself as a counterfigure to Donald Trump. While the president in Washington lurches from crisis to crisis, the governor in California has just announced a massive public safety initiative. With a dozen Highway Patrol strike teams he aims to stabilize hotspots across the state - a measure he presented with media impact in Sacramento to show that Democrats are not only talking about crime but taking action.

Karoline Leavitt was the perfect target. The young press secretary, notorious for her sharp-tongued appearances in the briefing room, embodies the aggressive communication style of the Trump administration like few others. She attacks the media, brands critical questions as "fake news," and celebrates even the most controversial decisions of her boss with youthful steadfastness. That Newsom's team put her precisely into the role of a woman who sends people into a fight for life and death with a smile was a cruel but spot-on punchline. The effect did not take long. Within hours the post was trending, journalists, politicians, and thousands of users shared the meme. Some celebrated the humor, others accused Newsom of further poisoning the political debate. But that tightrope walk seems to be part of the strategy: Newsom uses his online presence to counter Republican narratives - not with dry press releases but with quick wit that sticks in the pop culture memory.

It was not the first time that the California governor has taken down his opponents with irony. In the past his press office has repeatedly used sharp-tongued tweets to dismantle conservative narratives. But rarely has the tone been so biting. That he chose the "Hunger Games" for this is a signal: For Newsom, America's democracy itself is at stake, and the next round of the power struggle has only just begun.