Why is French Laundry trending? Photo of Gavin Newsom dining at the famous restaurant goes viral after he blamed Trump of dancing in Asia

Gavin Newsom's attempt at calling out Trump over withheld SNAP funding has blown up in his face when Kevin Dalton - his critic - retweeted him by posting an old picture of the Governor from 2020. 

While Newsom accused Trump of "literally dancing in Asia while 40 million people lose access to food," Dalton accused him of dining at the French Laundry "after he locked 40 million Californians in their homes".

Gavin Newsom literally dined at French Laundry after he locked 40 million Californians in their homes.

Disgusting. https://t.co/YhmmvPPs0i pic.twitter.com/piV3j4ogO8

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) October 26, 2025

Dalton's tweet - uploaded on Monday morning (October 27) - has since been going viral with over 142K views, 5K likes, and 1K retweets. It has also led to the term "French Laundry" trending on social media. 

For the unversed, Gavin Newsom's French Laundry controversy dates back five years - in November 2020 - when a news outlet posted photos of the governor dining at Napa's luxurious restaurant in the celebration of Jason Kinney's birthday.

Per Fox11 News, in addition to Newsom, two members of the California Medical Association (CMA) were also present at the dinner party in the French Laundry. Not only were they socializing at a restaurant amid the COVID-19 lockdown, but they were also not following any safety protocols, with none of the guests in the photos having a mask on their faces.

Jamie Court, the President of Consumer Watchdog, commented on Newsom's photos at the time, telling the news outlet that they were sending the message of forgetting the pandemic. The court added:

"This is the state’s medical association, they speak for the doctors in the state, and their chief lobbyist and the president are sitting shoulder to shoulder with the governor as though it's any time in American history not in the time of a pandemic."

The court added that he would rally for the President and the lobbyist of the CMA to be fired in the wake of the photos because of how they reflected on them, had they not already been present at the venue.

Gavin Newsom expressed his regret at joining the French Laundry 

In the wake of the backlash Gavin Newsom received over his dining at the French Laundry, the governor issued an apologetic statement that read:

"While the First Partner and I followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, I should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner."

The dinner party at the French Laundry was in celebration of the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, who is a partner at Axiom Advisors. A spokesperson of the firm, Molly Weedn, defended Kinney's birthday dinner by calling it a "small, intimate" gathering of 12 people that didn't break any rules set up during the pandemic. Weedn said:

"The restaurant was open for normal dining, consistent with state and county health guidance. All of the restaurant safety protocols were adhered to – and the guests followed those protocols."

With the infection and hospitalization rates growing in November 2020, the population of California had given in to more restrictive guidelines. Newsom, who religiously implored the Golden State citizens to practice vigilance with masks and social distancing, was widely criticized after his own socializing activities were brought to light.