President Donald Trump in a now-deleted Truth Social post gave an indecipherable message: “Bela.”
Screenshots shared on X show Trump posted just four letters on the morning of Aug. 17. Some people online are drawing comparisons to his infamous social media gaffe in his first term: “covfefe.”
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the post, but at least one Democratic leader who has taken to trolling the president online noticed: California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom has been at the forefront of a states redistricting standoff prompted by Texas lawmakers’ move to redraw the state’s congressional map to add more Republican seats. On Aug. 14, Newsom announced the Democratic-leaning state would hold a special election to approve a mid-decade redistricting plan.
More: Newsom mocks Trump in all-caps post promising a 2026 Democratic victory
Gavin Newsom continues to mock Trump on ‘Bela’
The California governor’s office has taken to mimicking Trump’s social media style in posts trolling the president and generally poking fun at Republicans online.
On Aug. 18, Newsom and his press office took up the “bela” post as more fodder.
“DONALD (TINY HANDS), HAS WRITTEN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY THIS MORNING — UNFORTUNATELY (LOW IQ) HE SPELLED IT WRONG — ‘BETA,'” the press office wrote on X. “SOON YOU WILL BE A ‘FIRED’ BETA BECAUSE OF MY PERFECT, ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS.’ THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN.”
Trump often signs off his Truth Social messages with “thank you for your attention to this matter,” or “President DJT.”
DONALD (TINY HANDS), HAS WRITTEN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY THIS MORNING — UNFORTUNATELY (LOW IQ) HE SPELLED IT WRONG — “BETA.” SOON YOU WILL BE A “FIRED” BETA BECAUSE OF MY PERFECT, “BEAUTIFUL MAPS.” THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN pic.twitter.com/KF44tc4ra2
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 17, 2025
‘Bela’ echoes ‘covfefe’ and other Twitter typos in Trump’s first term
Trump’s round-the-clock posts on Twitter, now X, were a constant news source in his first term.
Perhaps most famously, he posted a partial message that said, “Despite the negative press covfefe,” with no more information. He later deleted it, but played up the accidental word.
Covfefe wasn’t his only typo: He once referred to now Attorney General Pam Bondi as “a great womem,” and said a wall was important for good “Boarder Security,” among others.
What does ‘bela’ mean?
The White House did not respond to a request for an explanation on Trump’s post.
Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi, Erin Mansfield, William Cummings, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What does ‘bela’ mean? Gavin Newsom is trolling Trump with it
