California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls wife ‘first partner,' gets dragged online, including by Riley Gaines
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting roasted on social media after he called his wife, Jennifer, 'first partner' in a birthday tribute.
'Happy Birthday to the First Partner of California, the outstanding mother of our four incredible children, and the love of my life,' Newsom wrote to mark his wife's 51st birthday on Thursday.
The backlash was swift with women's rights activist Riley Gaines leading the charge, tweeting: 'I can't even fathom my husband unironically calling me his partner????'
3 Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife.
X / @CAgovernor
Others piled on as they ripped Newsom for being too woke.
''First Partner' is grounds for an immediate divorce,' one raged on X.
Another chimed in: 'Have you ever considered marrying your 'partner' so that she's your wife? The first lady?
3 Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference on June 12.
JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
'Were you not sure about her gender and wanted to go gender neutral?'
I'm so confused … why is it so wrong to use female terms? Are you that misogynistic?' another user questioned.
Some mocked the Democrat for still referring to his wife as a 'mother,' even though he avoided saying 'wife.'
3 Jennifer Siebel Newsom speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 5.
REUTERS
'Shame on him, he forgot to call her the birthing person instead of mother,' one person wrote on X, sarcastically.
His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, describes herself as the 'first partner' on the governor's official website and in her own social media bios.
'Jennifer Siebel Newsom chose the title First Partner, as opposed to the traditional title of First Lady, to send a signal of inclusivity, recognizing that one day there will be a woman or LGBTQ+ Governor of California, and to elevate the importance of partnership and the need for, and benefits of, a caring, inclusive government,' her bio on the website reads.
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