Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has always liked to poke fun at the bear, but this weekend, one of his jokes brought about more than just angry responses. Newsom’s sly comment about South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was considered severe enough by a Donald Trump-appointed lawyer to warrant a call to the Secret Service. Yes, really.
On X (formerly Twitter), Newsom’s press office posted: “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America.” Although his supporters found it funny, Bill Essayli, a loyal MAGA supporter who now serves as a U.S. Attorney, wasn’t laughing.
“We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials,” Essayli said instead, before declaring that he had forwarded the case to the Secret Service for an in-depth threat assessment.
To put it another way, a funny tweet was suddenly turned into a federal case. Online eyerolls broke out in response to Essayli’s action. Ever the opposing side (Gavin Newsom) retaliated by sending his own fake referral to the Secret Service, this time against Donald Trump, citing one of his 2020 tweets regarding Bernie Sanders. He proved that it is ridiculous to view political jabs as coded threats.
Similar to Essayli’s rage, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stoked the fires. “This reads like a threat,” she wrote, “This is ugly, [Gavin Newsom],” calling the governor’s press team cowards for “hiding behind (…) laptops.”
Newsom was mindful of the timing. He posted this before he signed the “No Secret Police Act,” which prohibited California ICE officers from wearing masks or other facial coverings. So, there are safeguards for those who worry about being singled out by immigration officers.
Never one to minimize his message, Gavin Newsom said, “It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie. Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing. No due process, no rights, no right in a democracy where we have rights.”
🚨 BREAKING: Gavin Newsom’s press office referred to the Secret Service for “full threat assessment” after they made this statement.
“Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America,” Newsom’s office said.
“We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit… pic.twitter.com/X9uEQkeQqC
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 20, 2025
In essence, this dispute is more about the culture war over tone and power than it is about safety. Gavin Newsom is marketing himself as “America’s favourite governor,” reaching to the right with Trump-esque all-caps rhetoric and satirical internet trolling.
One of his favourite targets is still Kristi Noem, who has become a conservative darling due to her leadership of DHS’s strict immigration crackdown. Essayli, on the other hand, represents the impulse of the Trump administration, where any criticism of the party in power can be turned into a legal matter. With both sides already using language as a weapon for maximum impact, his motion illustrates how tense the situation is as we head toward the 2026 midterm elections.
The Secret Service issued a statement saying they must “vigorously investigate” any potential threat, especially “in a politically charged climate,” though likely with a skeptical eye.
Gavin Newsom has just been referred to the secret service for saying Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day.
Free Speech is Dead in 🇺🇸.
Might as well just tear up the entire constitution.
This is a full on dictatorship. pic.twitter.com/pzNP7QEmcH
— 🇨🇦CoffeyTimeNews🇨🇦 (@CoffeyTimeNews) September 20, 2025
At last, Noem was not at risk from Newsom’s office. She was trolled by it!
What might have been just another minor social media spat became a national spectacle due to Essayli’s federal escalation. That amounts to a campaign gift for Gavin Newsom, actually, because he sure enjoys stirring up Republican anger.
