Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California argues that President Donald Trump’s ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is the latest sign of decline for the Republican president.

«Donald Trump is in retreat,» Newsom said Thursday evening in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the latest stop on his national book tour. «Today is a perfect example — the first firing of a high-profile Cabinet member.»

The firing of Noem, a one-time MAGA rock star and close ally of the president who was steering Trump’s centerpiece policy of mass deportations as part of the White House crackdown on illegal immigration, rocked the nation’s capital and the political world.

Trump’s move to remove Noem from the top spot at the Department of Homeland Security came amid mounting criticism of her performance not only from Democrats, but also among some Republicans and members of Trump’s political circle.

Newsom, a vocal Trump critic who is likely to seek the presidency in 2028, hours earlier took to social media after the news about Noem broke to write «BYE GIRL!»

At his New Hampshire stop, Newsom claimed that «the dark heart of the administration is not Kristi Noem, it’s Stephen Miller,» who is White House deputy chief of staff and a longtime top Trump advisor dating back to the president’s first White House run in 2016.

SOMETHING DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREE UPON – FIRING NOEM

«It had Noem’s fingerprints all over it, but it was Stephen Miller’s handbook, and he needs to be next,» Newsom said, as he referred to the 2025 move by Trump to send National Guard troops to California in response to immigration protests.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for reaction to Newsom’s comments but had not received a response at the time this story published.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller listens during a meeting with President Donald Trump and oil company executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 2026. ( Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Newsom’s latest book tour stop came two days after Democrats’ turnout in Tuesday’s primaries in Texas surged to record levels, a promising sign for the party out of power ahead of this year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

«Donald Trump is the leader of the get out the vote for the Democratic Party,» Newsom emphasized, as he discussed this week’s primary elections.

NEWSOM PREDICTS TRUMP IS ‘TOAST,’ WILL DRAG GOP INTO MIDTERM WIPEOUT

Newsom’s stop in New Hampshire, the state that for a century has traditionally held the first presidential primary in the race for the White House, fueled further speculation about a 2028 run by the two-term governor of solidly blue California.

The tour also recently took Newsom to South Carolina, and he stopped in Nevada on Wednesday. Both states, along with New Hampshire, hold crucial early voting presidential primaries in the Democratic calendar and all three are vying for the top spot in the party’s 2028 nominating schedule.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is considered a likely contender for the 2028 presidential election, speaks about his new memoir «Young Man in a Hurry,» during a book tour event in the state which traditionally holds the nation’s first primary election for president every four years, at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Newsom’s book tour for his memoir, «Young Man in a Hurry,» has not been without controversy.

At a book event in Los Angeles recently, Newsom stirred controversy by comparing Israel to an «apartheid state.»

On Thursday, he explained that he was referring to a column by nationally known political commentator and author Tom Friedman, amid the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. The weeklong strikes have resulted in the deaths of many of Iran’s top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Newsom said, «Tom used that word apartheid as it relates to the direction that Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally, ‘is going, particularly on the annexation of the West Bank.’»

NEWSOM SUGGESTS ISRAEL IS AN ‘APARTHEID STATE,’ NETANYAHU INFLUENCED TRUMP’S ACTIONS IN IRAN

«I’m very angry about this war with all due respect, not because I’m angry the supreme leader is dead, quite the contrary. I’m not naive about the last 37 years of his reign, 47 years since the ’79 revolution,» the governor said.

But taking aim at Trump, Newsom added, «I’m also mindful that you have a president who still is inarticulate and incapable of giving us the rationale of, why, why? Now, what’s the end game?»

Newsom’s memoir chronicles his life from a childhood where he coped with dyslexia to his current role as California governor and a high profile national politician.

At a book tour event in March in Atlanta, Newsom’s remarks about his low SAT test scores and his difficulty reading speeches were pummeled by many on the right as being racially insensitive to Black people.

The governor pushed back, calling the criticism «MAGA-manufactured outrage.»

BUTTIGIEG, NEWSOM, AOC TOP THREE IN NEW 2028 POLL IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE

Newsom is the latest potential Democratic 2028 presidential contender to stop in New Hampshire.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, center, and Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, a Democratic Senate candidate, campaign in Manchester, New Hampshire, Feb. 19, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who finished a close second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire’s 2020 Democratic presidential primary, made a three-day swing through the state in February.  

And Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who stopped in New Hampshire in autumn 2025, returns this weekend. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another likely White House hopeful, also just returned to the Granite State.

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The most recent poll in the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination race in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state, conducted in February by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, indicated Buttigieg at 20% support, with Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York at 15%.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ 2024 nominee, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona each stood at 10%, with everyone sampled in the survey registering in single digits.

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Gran Bretaña podría cambiar de posición y pasar de una postura “defensiva” a una “ofensiva” en la guerra contra Irán, a la que hasta ahora considera “ilegal”. Los aviones de la Real Fuerza Aérea podrían atacar legalmente las bases de misiles iraníes utilizadas para atacar activos británicos en Oriente Medio, según declaró David Lammy, viceprimer ministro y ministro de justicia laborista.

El viceprimer ministro afirmó que, por el momento, los aviones británicos F35 y typhoon solo estaban derribando misiles y drones disparados por Irán contra aliados en la región.

Sin embargo, afirmó que existía una base legal para que atacaran directamente las bases iraníes, en caso de ser utilizadas para lanzar ataques.

Declaró a BBC Breakfast: «Es totalmente legal proteger a nuestra gente y a nuestro personal. Por lo tanto, disponemos de toda la capacidad operativa en esas circunstancias».

Al preguntársele si el Reino Unido podría disparar legalmente contra una base iraní en previsión de un ataque, el sr. Lammy respondió: «Entiendo que sería legal».

Los conservadores respaldarían los ataques de la RAF contra bases de misiles iraníes.

Kemi Badenoch, líder conservadora, afirmó que apoyaría que los aviones de la RAF atacaran bases de lanzamiento de misiles iraníes.

“Es lo correcto. De lo contrario, estamos permitiendo que nuestro personal militar corra peligro. Tenemos que pensar en ellos. Si se tratara de un ataque nuclear, Dios no lo quiera, sería demasiado tarde. No siempre puedes esperar a que te ataquen. A veces hay que asegurarse de llegar primero para impedir que puedan dañar a los ciudadanos”, dijo.

En declaraciones a BBC Breakfast, declaró que le gustaría ver una «desescalada». Pero añadió: «Estamos en esta guerra, nos guste o no, porque hemos establecido bases en países extranjeros y necesitamos protegerlos. Y lo que me preocupa es que nuestro gobierno parece tener miedo de hacer algo y solo quiere que desaparezca, y necesitamos ser más fuertes que eso».

Gran Bretaña posee acuerdos de defensa con varios países del Golfo, que reclaman más ayuda, cuando Gran Bretaña se ha enfrentado a la administración Trump por el conflicto y por no permitirle el uso ofensivo de sus bases militares. Una posición que llevó a Trump a decir que el primer ministro británico, Sir Keir Starmer, “no es Winston Churchill”.

El embajador de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos en el Reino Unido afirmó que su país valoraba el apoyo británico, pero que un mayor apoyo «siempre era bienvenido».

Sus comentarios se producen después de que Emiratos Árabes Unidos se uniera a Chipre en sus críticas a la respuesta de Starmer a los ataques de represalia de Teherán.

Mansoor Abulhoul declaró a Times Radio: «La relación entre los Emiratos Árabes Unidos y el Reino Unido es increíblemente importante y sólida. Y valoramos el apoyo y la coordinación que nos ha brindado el Reino Unido. Pero en tiempos de crisis y desafíos, y en tiempos de guerra, siempre agradecemos más apoyo de nuestros amigos y aliados cercanos».

Añadió que Emiratos Árabes Unidos habían estado gestionando los ataques «increíblemente bien, con altas tasas de interceptación«. «Las instituciones están funcionando», añadió. «La vida continúa».

Abulhoul afirmó que el objetivo de Emiratos Árabes Unidos era «contener» el conflicto, pero que su país «se reserva el derecho de proteger nuestros intereses».

«Las decisiones sobre seguridad nacional son políticas, no legales«. Lord Sedwill, un exasesor de seguridad nacional, declaró así ante el debate sobre el uso de bases británicas para ataques contra Irán.

«Son decisiones de ministros del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional, no decisiones legales de abogados. Y es completamente legítimo que el gobierno diga que el interés de seguridad nacional del Reino Unido significa que no vamos a involucrarnos directamente en esta campaña militar en Irán«, dijo lord Sedwill este viernes.

«Por supuesto, la acción militar debe ser legal, pero permitir o no el uso de nuestras bases es una decisión política. En 2018, actuamos junto con Estados Unidos y Francia contra el programa de armas químicas de Siria. Fue legal, pero fue fundamentalmente una decisión política de los ministros, que lo consideraron en interés de la seguridad nacional del Reino Unido», aseguró.

James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, once posted information to social media, letting illegal aliens know they could evade detention as law enforcement grappled with a wave of immigration under President Donald Trump’s first term.

In a graphic put out by United We Dream, an activist group that supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Talarico encouraged viewers not to open their doors, not to sign any documentation without an attorney, to take pictures of ICE agents and to «fight back.»

«Undocumented Americans are folks who work in our businesses, learn in our schools and contribute to our communities — but lack citizenship documentation,» Talarico said in a post to X in 2019.

«As a Texas legislator, they’re also my constituents,» he added.

Talarico’s 2019 posts come as he wages a Senate campaign in the Lone Star State that’s attracted national attention. His comments clash with efforts to position himself as a pro-enforcement candidate.

In 2019, Talarico was in his second year of serving Texas as a state legislator.

At the time of his post, the United States reported an explosion of CBP Southwest Border Apprehensions, according to data published by the agency. In July alone, CBP reported 81,000 apprehensions — down from a peak of 144,000 in May — as immigrants feeling instability and crime in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador poured into the U.S.

For context, CBP reported just 40,000 apprehensions in July 2018, the year before.  

In response to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the post, Talarico’s campaign said his message has focused on targeting individuals who threaten the public safety of the U.S.

«James has been clear that we should be spending precious law enforcement resources cracking down on the cartels, not our communities; deporting gang members, not small business owners; and hunting down human traffickers, not moms and babies,» Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement.

TEXAS SENATE PRIMARIES EXPLODE AS CORNYN WARNS PAXTON COULD COST GOP MAJORITY, DEMOCRATS CLASH OVER RACE

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)

At least one GOP onlooker said they believe Talarico is disguising a leniency he would take much further.

«James Talarico stands with dangerous criminal illegal aliens, not law enforcement,» Republican National Committee representative Zach Kraft said, reacting to Talarico’s 2019 post.

«He is an open borders lunatic who wants to abolish ICE, put a welcome mat on the southern border, and greet every illegal alien with a warm hug and taxpayer-funded healthcare.»

Talarico, who just beat out progressive candidate Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., in a heated Senate primary, now looks to win over voters in November’s general election.

If elected, he would become Texas’ first Democratic senator since Sen. Bob Krueger in 1993.

It’s still unclear who Talarico will be facing in the general election due to a Republican runoff between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY ERUPTS AFTER CANDIDATE ACCUSED OF ‘MEDIOCRE BLACK MAN’ REMARK

Left: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, April 9, 2025; Right: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) meeting on February 23, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland (Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

When asked about immigration enforcement in the past, Talarico likened his views on enforcement to the entry of a home.

«Our border should be like a front porch — it should have a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,» Talarico wrote on his website.

Among other immigration policies, Talarico supports increasing ICE resources for public safety and national security, banning the use of masks by ICE agents, creating a pathway to legalization for certain undocumented immigrants, hiring more immigration judges and modernizing security at ports of entry.

Talarico’s campaign believes his views separate him from his Republican competition.

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«While James fights for immigration policies a majority of Texans support, Cornyn, Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up are trying to smear James because this people-powered movement is a threat to their wealth and power,» Talarico’s campaign said.

Talarico will face down his Republican opponent on Nov. 3, 2025.

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