The Political Smackdown: Who Called Dana Perino A "Ding Dong" And Why It Sparked A Media Firestorm

The political media landscape is often a battleground of sharp words, but few insults have captured the public’s attention as much as the one directed at Fox News host Dana Perino. As of today, December 14, 2025, the incident where the former White House Press Secretary was publicly dubbed a "Ding Dong" remains a prime example of modern political trolling, blurring the lines between serious commentary and social media satire. This viral moment wasn't a slip of the tongue from a co-host on The Five, but a calculated, all-caps digital strike from a high-profile Democratic politician.

The question of "who called Dana Perino a ding dong" has a clear, if surprising, answer: it was California Governor Gavin Newsom’s official social media presence. The insult was part of a larger, highly intentional strategy by Newsom's communications team to mimic the provocative, all-caps, and often inflammatory posting style of former President Donald Trump, turning the tables on his conservative critics on Fox News.

Dana Perino: A Brief Biography and Career Profile

Dana Marie Perino is one of the most recognizable faces in conservative media and a highly respected figure in Republican political circles. Her career trajectory from a small-town girl to a prominent political commentator offers a deep well of experience that informs her current analysis.

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• Full Name: Dana Marie Perino
• Born: May 9, 1972 (Age 53 as of late 2025)
• Place of Birth: Evanston, Wyoming, U.S.
• Education: Colorado State University-Pueblo (B.A. in Mass Communications), University of Illinois Springfield (M.A. in Public Affairs)
• Spouse: Peter McMahon (m. 1998)
• Key Political Role: 26th White House Press Secretary (2007–2009) under President George W. Bush. She was the second woman to hold this position.
• Current Roles: Co-host of the popular Fox News Channel political talk show The Five, co-anchor of America's Newsroom, political commentator, and author.
• Notable Works: And the Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side, Let Me Tell You About Jasper...: How My Best Friend Became America's Dog.
• Other Entities: Served as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The Original Insult: How the "Ding Dong" Feud Began

The entire controversy is rooted in the escalating political rivalry and media war between California Governor Gavin Newsom and the conservative media ecosystem, particularly Fox News. Newsom, a prominent Democrat often discussed as a potential future presidential candidate, has adopted a high-risk, high-reward media strategy to counter Republican attacks: fighting fire with fire.

Perino’s Initial Criticism on The Five

The spark that ignited the "Ding Dong" incident occurred when Newsom's team began posting on social media in a style almost identical to Donald Trump's characteristic all-caps, exclamation-point-heavy, and often bombastic tweets. The satirical posts were designed to mock Trump and provoke a reaction from his supporters and conservative pundits.

Dana Perino, a staple on the highly-rated show The Five, criticized this strategy directly. She argued that Newsom was "making a fool of himself" by engaging in such juvenile behavior and urged him to "get serious" about his political future. Perino, known for her measured and pragmatic commentary, suggested that the trolling tactic was beneath a sitting governor with national ambitions.

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Gavin Newsom’s Calculated Clapback

Instead of ignoring the criticism, Newsom’s communications team, led by figures like Izzy Gardon, doubled down. They responded with a post that directly targeted Perino, once again using the Trump-esque, all-caps format. The post read, in part: “DANA ‘DING DONG’ PERINO (NEVER HEARD OF HER UNTIL TODAY!) IS MELTING DOWN BECAUSE OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM! FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA’S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR.”

The term "Ding Dong" was a clear, childish-sounding jab designed to be instantly viral and inflammatory. It served two major purposes for the Newsom camp:

1. Direct Retaliation: It immediately neutralized Perino's criticism by turning the focus back on her, suggesting her outrage was proof of the strategy's effectiveness.
2. Reinforcement of the Troll Strategy: By using the "Ding Dong" insult within the all-caps, satirical framework, Newsom’s team reinforced their core message: they are willing to engage in the messy, attention-grabbing spectacle of social media politics, a style often associated with the MAGA movement, but from a Democratic perspective.

This move was not a mistake; it was a deliberate political maneuver. Newsom's defense of his team's actions centered on the idea that the "Pravda" nature of Fox News and its hosts, like Perino, proved that his trolling was successfully disrupting the conservative narrative.

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The Deeper Political Strategy: Weaponizing Satire Against Fox News

The "Ding Dong" incident is more than just a petty insult; it highlights a sophisticated and evolving media strategy employed by rising Democratic figures. The goal is to bypass traditional political reporting and directly confront the narrative set by conservative media.

The Art of the Political Troll

Newsom’s team recognized that the political media cycle is dominated by viral moments and outrage. By co-opting Donald Trump's style—the very thing Fox News viewers are accustomed to—they created a cognitive dissonance that garnered massive attention. Entities like "DANA 'DING DONG' PERINO" became instant, memorable slogans in this media war.

This strategy aims to portray Fox News hosts as being overly sensitive or "melting down" when faced with their own tactics turned against them. Perino’s reaction, where she defended her criticism and doubled down on her belief that Newsom should "stop it with the Twitter thing," simply fed into the narrative the Newsom team was trying to create: that the political establishment, especially conservative media, is uncomfortable when the rules of engagement change.

Topical Authority and Related Entities

The feud brought together a host of key political entities and topics, solidifying its place as a significant media event. The discussion quickly expanded beyond Perino and Newsom to include other prominent figures and themes:

• Donald Trump: The original inspiration for the satirical posting style.
• The Five Co-Hosts: Including Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld, who often discuss and defend Perino on the show.
• 2024 Presidential Election: The entire strategy is viewed through the lens of Newsom’s potential presidential ambitions and his efforts to establish a national profile.
• Political Trolling: The broader media phenomenon of using social media insults as a deliberate political tool.
• White House Press Secretary: Perino’s former role gave her a platform of authority, which Newsom’s team attempted to undercut with the "never heard of her" line.

In the end, while the insult was juvenile, the political calculation behind calling Dana Perino a "ding dong" was anything but. It was a successful example of a modern political campaign using social media satire to generate outrage, control the narrative, and elevate their candidate's profile on a national stage.