California Gov. Gavin Newsom stirred controversy Saturday after his team posted a cryptic message directed at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Newsom has positioned himself as a leading opponent of the Trump administration, particularly on immigration. Tensions escalated earlier this year after Trump deployed ICE agents to Los Angeles for large-scale enforcement operations.
Against that backdrop, Newsom’s press team posted a tweet that some interpreted as a veiled threat toward Noem. The message was vague but quickly drew scrutiny for how it could be read. “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America,” Noem’s gubernatorial X account posted on Saturday.
Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today.
You’re welcome, America.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025
The Trump administration echoed concerns that Newsom’s team’s tweet resembled a threat. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, accused Newsom of hiding “behind a keyboard” to target Noem, calling him too cowardly to confront her directly.
“This reads like a threat,” McLaughlin wrote. “This is ugly, @GavinNewsom. 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,” she added.
Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli, however, took the post a step further, announcing that it had been referred to the Secret Service. We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials. I’ve referred this matter to @SecretService and requested a full threat assessment,” he wrote on X.
