Newsom Faces Intense Backlash Over ‘Threatening’ Post About Trump Official

California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing intense backlash after his official account posted a remark about Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem that was ultimately referred to the U.S. Secret Service for a threat assessment.

In an ominous X post Saturday, Newsom’s press office claimed that Secretary Noem was “going to have a bad day today,” adding, “you’re welcome American.” The remark drew an immediate rebuke from a number of federal officials and political commentators, including DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli.

“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,” Essayli posted on X. McLaughlin replied to the X post from Newsom’s office, calling it “ugly” and saying it 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 said.

Daily Wire contributor Matt Walsh argued that the post mirrored those made about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk prior to his assassination on September 10. “This is, nearly verbatim, what multiple accounts on this site were tweeting about Charlie prior to his assassination,” he wrote.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News that the agency had received the Justice Department’s referral, adding that the agency was not able to comment on “specific protective intelligence matters.”

“However, 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,” Guglielmi said. “Especially in a politically charged climate, such as this.”

Several hours after the post went live, the governor’s press office followed up with news of a legislative package aimed at shielding illegal aliens from immigration enforcement operations and unmasking federal agents. The development appeared to be what Newsom was referring to in terms of a “bad day” for Noem.

Newsom appeared with a number of California Democrats on Saturday to sign a series of bills intended to “protect Californians, respond to federal overreach and push back against Trump and Stephen Miller’s ‘secret police’ tactics in California,” according to Newsom’s press office.

“We celebrate that diversity. It’s what makes California great. It’s what makes America great. It is under assault,” Newsom said at a press conference in Los Angeles on Saturday. “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.”

Newsom’s orders are expected to face court challenges from the Trump Administration, particularly in regards to immigration enforcement operations, which have already been litigated at the appellate court level.