California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat with a national profile, is reportedly once again drawing fire for his rhetoric after his official press office branded President Donald Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, a “fascist.” The message came just weeks after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — a killing in which the shooter scrawled the phrase “Hey fascist, catch!” on a bullet casing.
The post, issued from Newsom’s verified @GovPressOffice account, read simply: “STEPHEN MILLER IS A FASCIST!” Miller himself, targeted directly, responded with a measured question: “Why do you think they posted this?”
Rather than walk back the statement, Newsom’s team doubled down. “Because you’re a fascist,” the account replied. The exchange prompted outrage across conservative circles, particularly given the recent climate of violence against right-leaning figures.
Donald Trump Jr. weighed in, saying of the governor, “He knows exactly what he’s doing.” The governor’s press office then shot back again: “Yes, calling out your dad and his authoritarian stooges for being fascists.”
The back-and-forth alarmed many observers who said Democrats like Newsom appear uninterested in reducing tensions. “They have 0 intention of ‘turning the temperature down’ btw,” conservative athlete Riley Gaines wrote. Commentator Meghan McCain echoed the point: “It’s really a mystery why republicans are so skeptical that the left actually wants to ‘turn the temperature down’.”
Fox News host Harris Faulkner highlighted the alarming parallels between Newsom’s rhetoric and the language used in two recent targeted killings. “Why would the Press Office of a sitting Governor post rhetoric like what was scrawled on shell casings at the scene of two separate killings?” she asked.
Some officials warned bluntly that Newsom’s words could fuel further bloodshed. “Gavin, this is very dangerous. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop the violent rhetoric. It’s been two weeks since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, time to get your sht together before someone else gets klled,” Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican of North Carolina, urged in a direct reply.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” also called on Newsom to reconsider. “You’ve got to stop this. Seriously,” he said.
The timing of Newsom’s remarks struck many as especially reckless. Just fourteen days have passed since Kirk, a prominent conservative voice, was shot dead by an attacker apparently motivated by the very kind of dehumanizing political language now emanating from a sitting governor’s office. For critics, the episode underscores a troubling trend: leaders on the left condemning “political violence” in theory while fanning its flames in practice.
By invoking the same “fascist” language that killers themselves have used, Newsom, critics argue, risks legitimizing extremism at a moment when the country can least afford it.
Whether his office views the statements as political theater or a genuine conviction, the result is the same: rising fears that incendiary words could translate into deadly action.
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