Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem once again proved she has no idea how to do her job—this time by appearing to violate the Hatch Act while taking a swing at California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
During an Oval Office press conference with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Noem told reporters that Californians should “never elect [Newsom] into a leadership position ever again.”
That would be news to the California Constitution. Newsom, first elected in 2018, is term-limited and can’t run for governor again in 2026. Californians could technically help elect him to another executive-level role, like president, but that’s probably giving her too much credit.
Either way, her comments still likely violate the Hatch Act, the 1939 law that bars executive branch officials from using their official roles to promote or oppose partisan political candidates. That includes telling voters not to support someone—especially while standing in the White House and next to the president.
“Gov. Newsom has done a disservice to the status of California for many years,” Noem also said.
Then Trump jumped in: “The governor’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”
The jab followed a weekend of protests in Los Angeles over Trump’s latest immigration raids and his decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to the area, without Newsom’s backing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement boasted on social media that agents had arrested 118 allegedly undocumented immigrants during a June 6 raid—just one part of a broader crackdown that’s disrupted families and communities.
Tensions between Newsom and Trump have been simmering for months, but until now, the governor had mostly held back. That changed over the weekend. By Monday, Newsom was in full counterattack mode, firing off social posts and interviews aimed squarely at the White House.
But Noem isn’t likely to face any consequences for her apparent Hatch Act violation. Trump recently nominated loyalist Paul Ingrassia to lead the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the agency responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act. Ingrassia has vowed to “revitalize” the law—a phrase critics interpret as a signal that he won’t enforce it for Republicans.
That’s not surprising. The Hatch Act was trampled repeatedly by Trump and his allies, especially during his first term. A 2021 federal investigation found that at least 13 former Trump administration officials violated the law by intermingling campaigning with their official duties.
And now, with Ingrassia in charge, accountability looks even less likely.
Noem, for her part, has a long track record of tone-deaf political stunts. As the country braces for a potential economic recession, she asked Congress to green-light a $50 million Gulfstream V jet, paid for by the Coast Guard. She also reportedly backed a TV pitch where immigrants compete in physical challenges for a shot at United States citizenship.
She remains one of Trump’s least effective Cabinet members and a full-time cosplay enforcer.
But this latest blunder isn’t just political theater. Noem also appears to have crossed a legal line. And while she may avoid consequences under a friendly watchdog, the Hatch Act remains on the books—at least for now.
Campaign Action Alex Samuels June 11, 2025 at 12:30AM From Daily Kos
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