California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to an online insult about Democrat-led states by posting scenic images of California, including one of a beach that is actually located in Nevada.

On July 15, Newsom’s press office replied to a tweet from the X account @OneBadDude_, which stated, “FACT: Democrat run states are shtholes,” by simply responding, “’shithole’” and attaching four photos of picturesque locations. The photos appeared to depict clean, vibrant areas presumably meant to represent California’s cities, infrastructure, and natural beauty.

But one of the photos Newsom included in his retort is not from California.

A reverse image search conducted by The Dallas Express revealed that the beachfront image is of Sand Harbor Beach, which is located on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

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The website RVShare, among others, lists Sand Harbor Beach as one of the top-rated beaches in Nevada. While Lake Tahoe spans both California and Nevada, this particular spot lies firmly within Nevada’s borders.

The inclusion of the Nevada image drew immediate attention on social media. Brick Suit was one of the first users to call out the governor. “Hey Newsom, see this photo? That’s Sand Harbor state park in NEVADA. You’re tarded,” the user wrote.

Quickly, other X users piled on their two cents.

“Look @grok it’s the cherry picking fallacy vs the sweeping generalization fallacy. You don’t see that one every day,” user Phaethon wrote.

The conservative account Libs of TikTok also weighed in, apparently referencing another one of Newsom’s images. In response to the governor’s use of San Francisco as an example of California’s appeal, the account shared the city’s well-known “poop map” and wrote, “Your state has a poop map.”

Newsom’s post follows a pattern of prominent Democrats facing backlash for images intended to convey a polished image of their leadership. Case in point, The Dallas Express reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted an Instagram photo that appeared to have been digitally altered. Observers noted warping in the background consistent with common photo-editing errors used to slim a person’s body. Jeffries did not comment on the photograph.

The use of inauthentic or misleading visuals — whether intentional or not — can quickly backfire in a digital environment primed to scrutinize every pixel.

While Newsom’s intent may have been to highlight California’s strengths, the misstep in featuring a Nevada beach may have opened the door for critics to renew familiar attacks on the state’s governance and social issues.

Newsom’s office has not publicly commented further on the photo’s origin.