California Governor Gavin Newsom is seizing on the Trump administration’s shifting tone about the First Amendment, pointing directly to past statements made by longtime Trump adviser Stephen Miller. The controversy intensified this week after ABC abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! Following threats from FCC Chair Brendan Carr that the network’s license could be revoked.
The dispute stemmed from Kimmel’s comments on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which sparked outrage from Trump allies. President Donald Trump weighed in Thursday, complaining that most television networks “give me only bad publicity” and suggesting that their licenses should “maybe” be taken away.”
At the same time, Miller escalated his own rhetoric, accusing left-leaning groups of being “a vast domestic terror movement” in the wake of Kirk’s killing. Newsom countered by resurfacing one of Miller’s old posts on X from April 15, 2022.
“If the idea of free speech enrages you — the cornerstone of democratic self-government — then I regret to inform you that you are a fascist,” Miller had written. The governor reposted it Thursday with a sharp rejoinder: “Good to know, @StephenM.”
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The original comment came the same day Elon Musk announced his $43 billion bid to buy Twitter, now X, claiming he wanted to turn it into a platform for free expression.
Defending the administration’s actions, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the Daily Beast: “Left-wing organizations have fueled violent riots, organized attacks against law enforcement officers, coordinated illegal doxing campaigns, arranged drop points for weapons and riot materials, and more.
The Trump Administration will get to the bottom of this vast network inciting violence in American communities. It is disingenuous and false for Democrats to say Administration actions are about free speech – they’re not. This effort will target those committing criminal acts and hold them accountable.”
Newsom, however, argued that the crackdown is really about silencing political opposition. “There is no such thing as free speech under Donald Trump’s reign,” he wrote on X. He accused Republicans of “censoring Americans “in real time,” pointing to canceled shows, removed commentators, and the purchase of major media platforms as signs of a coordinated effort.
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The governor also warned that Miller represents a growing threat to democratic institutions. After Miller vowed Monday to use “every resource” to “destroy” what he called left-wing “terrorist networks,” Newsom urged Americans to “wake up.” He noted Miller had already labeled the Democratic Party a “domestic extremist organization.”
Late Wednesday, Trump announced he would designate Antifa as a terrorist group. Former Obama adviser David Axelrod told CNN the decision marked an “inflection moment,” describing it as an attempt to defund and discredit opposition under the guise of fighting extremism.