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Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is being widely mocked for a photo of her grilling, with many on social media expressing alarm and disgust over what appears to be some type of shredded meat over the fire.
Spanberger, who ran as a moderate Democrat, has been criticized for enacting radical day one policies, including moving to end cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and restore diversity, equity and inclusion. But this week the primary criticism against her was over a photo she posted of herself smiling over a grill on Thursday with the caption, “Order up.”
The post garnered immediate mockery, with many comparing it to the viral photo of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in which the senator could be seen smiling with several of what appeared to be uncooked burger patties, one of which already had cheese on it.
Conservative commentator Greg Price reacted to the photo of Spanberger alongside images of Schumer, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in front of grills, with the caption, “I hope Democrat politicians never stop doing photo ops behind a grill.”
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Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger grilling in a photo posted to her X account on Feb. 12, 2026. (Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger official X account)
Though the new governor was wearing a black apron with the words, “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,” her post was flooded with comments asking what the strange-looking meat on the grill truly was.
“Ma’am, what is that?” reacted independent journalist Breanna Morello.
Popular satire account Three Year Letterman commented, “How many neighborhood cats are missing” and “arrest her.”
“Did you cut your meat with a weed wacker?” wrote Parker Thayer, a researcher at Capital Research Center.
Heritage Foundation research fellow Jason Bedrick commented, “What you did to that meat violates the Geneva Convention.”
Another user, conservative commentator David Freeman, simply reacted, “No thanks.”
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Abigail Spanberger, governor-elect of Virginia, during an inauguration ceremony at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, US, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia on Saturday, becoming the state’s first female leader. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Beef supplier Merriwether Farms wrote, “Virginia is in trouble.”
In 2024, Schumer took similar criticism over a Father’s Day post, which the New York Democrat eventually deleted, showing off his backyard grill.
Our family has lived in an apartment building for all our years, but my daughter and her wife just bought a house with a backyard and for the first time we’re having a barbeque with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill!” Schumer posted on X on Sunday. “Father’s Day Heaven!”
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Sen. Chuck Schumer deleted X post. (X)
The post was immediately criticized by conservatives accusing him of placing cheese on one of the burger patties prematurely and not knowing how to properly grill the burger.
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“Chuck is making an E. coli with cheese,” Cavalry founding partner Michael Duncan posted on X.
Spanberger’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
