California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) criticized President Donald Trump on Friday following the removal of Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that the former cabinet official was being used as a “scapegoat” while directing blame toward White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Trump announced late Thursday that Noem would be leaving her position at DHS and nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace her. The decision came after reports that the president was angered by testimony Noem delivered earlier this week during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
During the hearing, Noem faced pointed questioning from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who pressed her on a controversial $220 million advertising campaign tied to immigration enforcement efforts.
In her testimony, Noem said the president had commissioned the campaign, which was designed to encourage undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the United States.
The leadership shake-up quickly drew reactions from political figures across the country, including Newsom, who weighed in while speaking in New Hampshire as part of a tour promoting his new book, Young Man in a Hurry.
While appearing on stage with Gen Z liberal influencer Jack Cocchiarella, Newsom was asked about Noem’s removal from the Trump administration. Instead of focusing primarily on Noem, the California governor shifted attention toward Miller, a longtime immigration policy adviser in the White House.
“Let’s be honest here,” Newsom said. “The dark heart of this administration is not known, it’s Stephen Miller and he needs to be next. And it’s really true.”
Miller has been a central figure in shaping the administration’s immigration policies, including its aggressive deportation strategy.
Newsom suggested that Noem’s actions as homeland security secretary were largely the result of policies developed by Miller rather than decisions made independently by the former DHS chief.
“In so many ways, she’s just a scapegoat in all this,” Newsom said. “Everything she was doing was designed by Miller.”
The governor also referenced his political background in California while making the claim.
“And I don’t think it, I know it, remember where I come from, California,” Newsom said. “Future, in this respect, happened in California first.”
Newsom later amplified his criticism of Miller on social media, posting a clip of his remarks from the New Hampshire event to X.
Alongside the video, the governor issued a warning directed at the White House adviser.
“You’re next, Stephen,” Newsom wrote.
The comments add another layer to the political fallout surrounding Noem’s removal, which came after days of scrutiny over the advertising campaign discussed during the Senate hearing.
Trump’s decision to nominate Mullin as Noem’s replacement signals a new phase for the Department of Homeland Security as the administration continues to pursue its immigration agenda.
Meanwhile, Newsom’s remarks highlight the increasingly heated political debate surrounding the administration’s approach to border security and deportation policies.
As the White House moves forward with new leadership at DHS, critics like Newsom are continuing to focus attention on the officials they believe are responsible for shaping the administration’s immigration strategy.
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