California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has managed to land himself at the center of yet another controversy. 

This time, Breitbart News reports that the governor is facing significant criticism for a social media post that he recently made targeting Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem.

Newsom has been accused of threatening Noem, not long after the recent assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk.

Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today.

You’re welcome, America.

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025

Is that a threat?

The message, which has garnered a lot of criticism, was posted by Newsom's press office on Saturday.

It reads, "Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America."

The big question is exactly what Newsom meant by this message. Is it, for example, a threat of violence? We'll leave that for you to judge, but the Trump administration is taking it seirously.

The Daily Mail reports that Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, has referred the situation to the U.S. Secret Service.

Essayli wrote:

We have zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials. I've referred this matter to @SecretService and requested a full threat assessment.

Widespread condemnation

Many are now criticizing Newsom. The criticism, as would be expected, is especially coming from Republicans.

Steven Cheung, White House Director of Communications, said:

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

Similarly, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, wrote:

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.

Newsom, despite all of the criticism, has refused to back down. Instead, he has doubled down. He did so with two subsequent messages.

In the first, he reposted his earlier "bad day" message, attaching to it a news article titled, "TODAY: Governor Newsom signs a historic legislation package to protect immigrant communities, hold Trump accountable." And, in the second message, Newsom called attention to a message from President Trump back on March 10, 2020, when the president wrote, "Going to be a BAD day for Crazy Bernie!"