California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again proving that if there were an Olympic event for political recklessness, he’d be a gold medalist. On Saturday, Newsom’s communications team decided to drop a cryptic, vaguely threatening message directed at Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and the backlash has been swift and deserved.
Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today.
You’re welcome, America.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025
The post, which read, “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America,” was immediately interpreted by many as more than just political trash talk. Coming from a sitting governor, it read more like a warning and some are calling it what it looks like: a veiled threat.
This isn’t just some random blue-check blogger mouthing off on social media. This is a top Democrat who sees himself as the commander of the anti-Trump “resistance,” especially on the issue of illegal immigration. Newsom has been in open revolt against the Trump administration’s attempts to enforce immigration law, with his state going so far as to shield illegal aliens from federal ICE agents. That battle escalated earlier this year when Trump ordered ICE raids in Los Angeles, prompting more virtue-signaling from Sacramento.
Now, with tensions already high, Newsom’s office appears to be toeing the line of dangerous rhetoric. If they thought this post would be seen as a clever jab, they miscalculated badly. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin tore into the governor, saying bluntly, “This reads like a threat. This is ugly, @GavinNewsom.” She added that Newsom’s team was full of “keyboard warriors” who would “never have the guts to say this to [Noem’s] face.”
And the federal government isn’t brushing it off. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed the post has been referred to the Secret Service for review. That’s not standard operating procedure for a harmless jab, that’s what happens when officials believe a threat against a cabinet-level official might be in play.
It’s hard not to connect the dots here. Similar ominous posts appeared on X just days before Charlie Kirk was assassinated, including messages like “something BIG coming soon” and celebratory reactions afterward. That context makes Newsom’s message look even more suspect.
So the question remains: if this wasn’t a threat, what exactly was it? Just another juvenile attempt at owning the Trump administration online? Either way, it’s reckless, embarrassing, and beneath the office Newsom holds, not that he ever seemed too worried about dignity in the first place.
Leave a Comment