April Fools' Day in politics: On April 1, lawmakers trade punchlines instead of policy

Fox News

01-04-2025

While private companies are taking advantage of April Fools' Day to market their products, politicians are using it to take jabs at their enemies across the aisle.
Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis used the day to poke fun at President Donald Trump over his recent self-portrait snafu, while Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer used it to take a jab at Hunter Biden's painting skills. House GOP conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., chose to target all Democrats with her dig from the podium during a press conference Tuesday.
Polis put out a press release early Tuesday morning announcing he had unveiled a new official gubernatorial portrait to be displayed in the State Capitol. The press release included an image of the new "portrait," which was not actually a painting of the governor, but a caricature of himself.
"No one likes an unflattering photo or painting of themselves, which is why I went against the grain for my official portrait," Polis said in his announcement. His timing was right on cue, since, earlier in the week, Trump demanded a portrait of himself be taken down because he did not like the way it made him look, calling it "purposefully distorted."
"I'm pleased with the final product and want to thank the artists for their vision, and feel that I have never looked better," Polis said.
The press release included a photo of the caricature, which looked like a character from "South Park," along with various requirements he ostensibly gave to the artist who drew it.
"The Governor must be depicted directly facing the viewer. The Governor's well-known signature look, specifically his signature blue polo, must not be altered. The portrait must utilize the bright blue hue of the Governor's iconic tennis shoes. The Governor must be smiling or smizing," the list said.
Republicans got into the action too, with Comer sharing a sarcastic post on X, commissioning Hunter Biden to do some artwork for him.
"I heard Hunter Biden is facing financial hardship, so I decided to commission him to paint my official chairman portrait," Comer wrote in an X post, which included what appeared to be an AI-generated image of Hunter Biden painting a portrait of Comer.
"No favors from the Big Guy, I promise," he added.
Hunter Biden faced criticism during his father's presidency — and amid an ongoing corruption scandal linked to his family — for allegedly leveraging his status to fetch high prices for his amateur artwork, with reported sales ranging from $75,000 to $500,000.
At a GOP press conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday, McClain got in on the action, too. However, her jab sought to target all Democrats, chiding them for lacking unity or a cohesive strategy for taking power back from Republicans.
"The Democrats, however, have found their vision," McClain said as she blasted the party for disrupting GOP town halls across the country. "The Democrats have found their leader. And the Democrats – oh wait, no April Fools'. I forgot it was April Fools' today. That was my attempt at an April Fools' joke. We know the Democrats have no vision, no message and no leader."
At the local level and on social media, a state senator from Michigan threw shade at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for "playing politics" with a special election in the state, and, in North Carolina, the state's Republican Party created a graphic that referred to Democratic leaders in the state, including newly elected Gov. Josh Stein, as "April Fools."