Newsom’s press office under scrutiny for social media post targeting Kristi Noem

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN

(CNN) — California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office could be investigated for a social media post that some Republicans perceived as a threat to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid a heightened threat environment for political figures.

“Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America,” Newsom’s press office said in a post on X on Saturday morning.

Bill Essayli, the acting US attorney for the Central District of California, said Saturday that he has called on the Secret Service to investigate the post and to perform “a full threat assessment.”

“We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials,” Essayli said in a post on X.

Following Essayli’s announcement, Newsom’s press office said in a separate post hours later that the original post was referring to an immigration-related legislation that the governor was signing into law, that includes a ban on federal law enforcement wearing masks.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin criticized the press office’s post, saying, “This reads like a threat.”

“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,” McLaughlin added in a post on X.

A Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement that the agency “is in receipt of the Department of Justice’s communication.”

“To preserve operational integrity, we are 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. Especially in a politically charged climate, such as this,” the statement said.

CNN has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.

The exchange comes amid a tense political environment in the wake of conservative activist’s Charlie Kirk’s killing. Government officials, including members of Congress, have called for more security.

In recent days, Republicans and members of the Trump administration have gone after Democrats for their rhetoric. One GOP member of Congress, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, squarely blamed Democrats’ rhetoric after last week’s assassination.

Former DHS adviser Charles Marino told CNN that “the threat level has never been higher in the United States.”

Marino went on to say that rhetoric from politicians, including Newsom’s press office’s post, is “not helpful.”

“This is not the maturity and the civility that helps lower the threat level here,” Marino said, adding, “There needs to be a cooling down here. There is responsibility on the part of politicians, and they need to own that and act accordingly.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung slammed Newsom’s press office for posting “a threat” ahead of Kirk’s memorial on Sunday.

“To make a threat like this, especially on the memorial weekend for Charlie, is beyond the pale and totally disgusting,” Cheung said in a post on X. “This is what happens when Gavin Newsom lets deranged Leftist lunatics post messages on his behalf.”

Earlier this year, DHS and Secret Service investigated James Comey — Trump’s former FBI director and now staunch critic — for a photo he posted on Instagram of seashells spelling out the numbers “86 47.”

Trump allies immediately accused Comey of threatening the president’s life as the number 86 can often refer to getting rid of or tossing something out, while 47 corresponds to Trump’s current term in office as the 47th president.

Comey eventually deleted the post, claiming he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”

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