Gavin Newsom has quite a bit of a reputation when it comes to trolling US President Donald Trump and his close-knit circle. In his latest X post, the California Governor’s press office took a swipe at ‘ICE Barbie’ Kristi Noem and Tricia McLaughlin.
Before the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had officially announced Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s exit from the department, there were multiple articles circulating. Reacting to one of them on X, Gavin Newsom wrote, “Adios! Is Kosplay Kristi next?”
Adios! Is Kosplay Kristi next? https://t.co/lzSpUmkUA0
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) February 17, 2026
Meanwhile, Kristi Noem shared an official post announcing Tricia McLaughlin’s exit from the department, in which she wrote, “Tricia McLaughlin has served with exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.”
Kristi Noem signed off the post with these words, “She has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe. While we are sad to see her leave, we are grateful for her service and wish Tricia nothing but success.”
Tricia McLaughlin has served with exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.
She has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe.…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) February 17, 2026
This isn’t the first time that Newsom has made a joke at the expense of Kristi Noem. “You made it through the hurricane season without a hurricane, and so FEMA — you kept the hurricanes away, we appreciate that,” Kristi said, thanking Trump in December. Reacting in his signature humour-infused style, Gavin Newsom wrote, “ICYMI: Trump controls the weather.”
In addition to Trump and Noem, Gavin Newsom has also mocked US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Newsom has frequently taken jabs at Trump and his team.
He recently trolled Vice President JD Vance for promoting the “All-American” alternative show by Turning Point USA. Slamming Vance in his X post, Newsom wrote, “Peak snowflake behavior: MAGA Republicans are planning a backup halftime show so no one hurts their feelings.”
Earlier this month, Gavin Newsom called out Donald Trump’s racist post targeting Michelle and Barack Obama, which showed them as apes. “Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now,” he wrote.
Amid the Epstein cover-up claims, Gavin Newsom had suggested a nickname for Attorney General Pam Bondi last year. In an X entry last year, the California Governor wrote, “So much for the ‘most transparent’ administration. P[-]-protector Pam is still refusing to answer questions — and still hiding the Epstein files.”
A twist in the Trump-Gavin equation arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year, where Donald Trump called the California Governor a “good guy.” He said, “I know Gavin was here. I used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president. Gavin’s a good guy. We did help them a lot in Los Angeles, a lot … early in my term, when they had some problems. But we would love to do it. I will say this, if I were a Democrat governor, or whatever, I would call up Trump, I’d say, ‘Come on in, make us look good,’ because we’re cutting crime down to nothing.”
