California Gov. Gavin Newsom is handing out nicknames to members of Donald Trump’s administration like Oprah Winfrey and a free car giveaway. The latest target of the fiery Democrat’s ire is Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Noem has been throwing jabs at the former San Francisco mayor for years, even bulldozing his response to wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles County during her January confirmation hearing. Her vitriol was hardly diminished during a White House press conference on June 10.
She claimed that he had done a “disservice to the state of California for many years,” adding that “the people there should never elect him into a leadership position ever again.” Trump interjected, “The governor’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”
On Aug. 18, Noem, who previously served as governor of South Dakota, also blamed him for a fatal car crash in Florida. An immigrant motorist making an illegal U-turn was issued his driver’s license in “the Golden State,” but only after he was granted a federal work permit under Trump’s reign.
NEW CHARACTER ALERT: The Kosplay Kristi universe just expanded!!
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 25, 2025
Meet Kowgirl Kristi — riding into America’s nightmares near you. pic.twitter.com/dX0eppbT2X
Newsom hit back with his first moniker for Noem. “Is Kowgirl Kristi asleep at the reins?” he wrote in a blistering X post. He has since unleashed the “Kosplay Kristi” caricature series in subsequent tweets.
Her other nickname is Kristi The Sailor, who specializes in “sinking America’s respect around the world.” As for the rodeo-touting version, she is known for “riding into America’s nightmares near you.”
For weeks, Newsom has been mirroring Trump’s name-calling and teardown tactics of his opponents. A fan of the taunting wrote, “it gets under his skin. He can’t handle it. So keep it up Gav. Don’t stop.” Another one said, “He beat him at his own game.”
An unamused Trump supporter said, “Your attempt to hijack the MAGA brand will only get you labeled as FAUX MAGA,” they remarked. A third person commented, “Been obsessed by Kristi lately? Remind you of your ex wife Gov. Gruesome?”
The charismatic leader was formerly married to Trump ally Kimberly Guilfoyle, a brunette who shares some resemblance to Noem.
NEW CHARACTER ALERT: The Kosplay Kristi universe just expanded!! Kristi the Sailor — sinking America’s respect around the world. pic.twitter.com/wvGKwPT8zg
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 26, 2025
Also caught in the political web of trolling are White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, dubbed Karolying, and J.D. “Just Dance” Vance. Trump has not found the humor in the digital melee, and, instead, has doubled down on calling the governor “Newscum.”
