‘Absurd’: Gavin Newsom hits back as Katie Miller blames him for WHCD shooting

WASHINGTON, DC: California Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed back sharply after Katie Miller blamed him for the shocking shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The political clash unfolded earlier this week after Miller, speaking on Fox News on Monday, April 27, linked the suspect to California and accused Newsom of fueling the kind of rhetoric that led to the attack.

Gavin Newsom calls Katie Miller’s WHCD shooting claim ‘absurd’

Katie Miller claimed that the suspect’s ties to California were not a coincidence.

“It’s no mistake [shooting suspect Cole Allen] hails from the state of California and that of Gavin Newsom, who is one of the worst offenders of this violent political rhetoric that we see that sparks this man’s imagination,” she said.

Newsom did not hold back in his response.

He called the claim “absurd” and rejected any attempt to tie him to the violence.

“This finger pointing from people like Katie who haven’t just tolerated, but amplified, Trump’s dangerous rhetoric is offensive,” he wrote in a post on X.

He added, “The same folks cheering Trump’s threats don’t get to rewrite the narrative now.”

Newsom points to Trump’s rhetoric after WHCD shooting blame

In a strongly worded follow-up, Newsom turned the focus back on the president and his allies.

“The President has openly celebrated the deaths of his political opponents, called Democrats and immigrants ‘vermin,’ ‘demonic’ and ‘evil’ ‘animals’ who are ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’” he wrote.

He also accused Trump of regularly using threatening language and referenced past statements about political opponents and the January 6 events.

The exchange highlights how quickly the shooting has turned into a broader political fight, with both sides blaming each other for the climate of rhetoric.

Katie Miller and Gavin Newsom’s past clashes resurface

The clash is not happening in isolation. Katie Miller has repeatedly criticized Newsom in the past.

Earlier this year, she took aim at his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“Nothing quite says America First like commiserating to the crowd of the World’s Elites. You either stand up for America or you should sit down,” she wrote at the time.

The latest remarks show how that tension has now escalated in the wake of a serious security incident.

WHCD shooting involving Cole Allen intensifies political blame game

The argument comes just days after a man armed with guns and knives stormed the area outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night.

The suspect, identified as Cole Allen, allegedly charged toward the ballroom where Trump, senior officials and guests were gathered, creating panic as shots were fired.

Secret Service agents quickly intervened and took him into custody. Authorities believe he acted alone, though his exact motive has not been clearly established.

Trump, who was at the event, was unharmed.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” he said later that night, adding that officials believed the suspect was a “lone wolf.”

Newsom, who was not at the dinner, initially struck a more measured tone before the political clash escalated.

“Relieved everyone at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe tonight based on initial reports,” he wrote. “A free press is foundational to our country. Violence is never acceptable.”