California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is under fire after his press office posted a message about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that federal officials are treating as a possible threat.
The post, made on Saturday morning, claimed Noem was “going to have a bad day today,” adding, “you’re welcome American.” The wording immediately sparked outrage.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the post was “ugly” and read like a threat. “Your keyboard warrior team may hide behind their laptops and spew this kind of vitriol but you would never have the guts to say this to her face,” McLaughlin wrote.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said he referred the matter to the Secret Service. “We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials. I’ve referred this matter to [the Secret Service] and requested a full threat assessment,” he posted on X.
Daily Wire contributor Matt Walsh noted the similarities to posts made about Charlie Kirk before his assassination on Sept. 10. “This is, nearly verbatim, what multiple accounts on this site were tweeting about Charlie prior to his assassination,” Walsh said.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the referral. He said the agency would investigate any situation that could be perceived as a threat, Trending Politics reported.
“The Secret Service must vigorously investigate any situation or individual, regardless of position or status, that could pose or be perceived as posing a threat to any of our protectees,” he told Fox News.
Guglielmi added that the agency could not comment on “specific protective intelligence matters,” but emphasized the seriousness of the situation. “Especially in a politically charged climate, such as this.”
Hours after the initial post, Newsom’s office claimed the message referred to a new legislative package targeting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.
The bills Newsom signed alongside California Democrats were designed to shield illegal aliens from federal operations and unmask federal agents. His office said the package was meant to “protect Californians, respond to federal overreach and push back against Trump and Stephen Miller’s ‘secret police’ tactics in California.”
Newsom appeared in Los Angeles for the announcement, where he defended his approach. “We celebrate that diversity. It’s what makes California great. It’s what makes America great. It is under assault,” Newsom said.
He accused the Trump administration of “authoritarian tendencies” and promised California would resist. “This is the United States of America, and I’m really proud of the state of California and our state of mind that we’re pushing back against these authoritarian tendencies and actions of this administration.”
The bills are expected to be challenged in court by the Trump administration, particularly the measures aimed at obstructing immigration enforcement.
Federal courts have already dealt with multiple disputes between California and the White House over immigration operations. Legal experts expect more litigation as Newsom’s new orders move forward.
The controversy has left Newsom accused of threatening a sitting cabinet secretary while promoting legislation aimed at undermining federal law enforcement.
For many critics, the timing of the “bad day” post only reinforced concerns about the governor’s rhetoric and the dangerous political climate in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
