California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office drew sharp backlash after posting a sharp jab at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that fueled an intense back and forth on social media.
The first ten words of the short tweet was concerning enough for one federal prosecutor to refer it to the U.S. Secret Service for a threat assessment.
On X on Saturday, Newsom’s office wrote: “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America.”
The remark drew immediate outrage from conservatives, including acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli. “There is zero tolerance for threats — direct or implied — against government officials,” Essayli said. “I’ve referred this matter to [the Secret Service] and requested a full threat assessment.”
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin also condemned the post, calling it “ugly” and accusing Newsom’s team of hiding behind their screens.
Newsom’s office quickly hit back at the criticism by resurfacing a Trump post from March 2020, when Trump, in his first term, tweeted, “Going to be a BAD day for Crazy Bernie!” in reference to Sen. Bernie Sanders.
To underscore what they saw as a double standard, Newsom’s team turned the tables on Essayli with the same threat he used against them.
Online, critics said interpreting Newsom’s social media jab as a threat was complete overreach.
“Threat assessment should take all of 10 seconds. It was clearly a political comment about political consequences. Interpreting it any other way is just gratuitous,” one person commented on MSN.
“There is nothing at all threatening or actionable about what was stated. The right is irrational and stabbing at FREE SPEECH like it’s some sort of new concept,” another said.
Others argued the administration was seizing on Charlie Kirk’s killing as a pretext to brand nearly any criticism from the left as a threat against conservatives.
“Newsom is a politician — not the mafia… If he passed some legislation prohibiting some ICE action, wouldn’t that be a ‘bad day’ for Noem? There’s nothing threatening violence in that statement — total reach.”
Noem doubled down during an interview with Sean Hannity claiming her family and her team were in full panic mode just minutes after Newsom’s post. But her push for sympathy quickly backfired.
“It was cryptic. And it was really menacing. It immediately panicked my family and friends,” she said. “Within a couple minutes of that being posted I started to get text messages and phone calls. My kids saying, ‘Are you OK, mom?'”
View on Threads
She added that the family is on high alert due to previous threats they’ve received from “cartels and criminals” and now they’re wondering how to interpret the tweet from the governor. “What is going on, what does he mean?”
Not surprisingly, Noem didn’t gain much sympathy, especially after closing the clip saying that she knows “words matter.”
“Translation: She can dish it out, but she can’t take it. Not to mention she actually makes horrible, threatening statements. She wasn’t “concerned,” she’s just baiting for sympathy,” one person noted.
Another added, “Anyone from this administration using “words matter” is absolute hypocrisy 🤦♀️”
“Girl he literally passed a bill so your goons couldn’t wear mask, Jesus 🙄,” one user wrote on Threads.
Earlier, Newsom rolled out a new legislative package aimed at shielding immigrant communities and limiting federal immigration enforcement tactics in California. The centerpiece was a bill signed Saturday banning law enforcement officers — including ICE agents — from wearing masks during official duties except when undercover or in tactical situations. Many felt the legislation offered immediate clarification for the “bad day” comment.
Announcing the law in Los Angeles, Newsom directed his fire at ICE.
“Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing. No due process, no rights — no rights in a democracy where we have rights, immigrants have rights,”
Newsom said. “We have the right to stand up and push back, and that’s what we’re doing here today. This is a disgrace. This is an outrage what we have allowed to happen in this country. … To ICE: unmask. What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of?”
The legislation makes it a misdemeanor for officers to conceal their faces outside of approved exceptions, and it allows civil penalties if an officer engages in misconduct while masked. Newsom’s office framed the law as a direct response to what it called Trump-era “secret police tactics.”
McLaughlin, however, argued the law puts agents in danger.
“Another day, another sanctuary politician pulling a stunt in attempt to get their 15 minutes of fame while endangering DHS personnel and detainees,” she said, claming assaults on ICE officers are up 1,000 percent.
Newsom received push back from the MAGA crowd for surfacing a 5-year-old tweet to make his point. In light of Kirk’s death, many felt the timing of Newsom’s post carried more weight than Trump’s.
“You had to dig a 2020 tweet to justify your hate. It is 2025, and a young man was shot in the neck just a couple of weeks ago because of the radicals like you!!,” wrote one user.
