One of the greatest uncited (and cynical) proverbs in history is: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”
But what if you can’t join them?
Well, if you ask Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom — a man whose 2028 presidential aspirations are one of politics’ poorest kept secrets — if you can’t join them, copy them.
But, if you ask Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, you had better watch yourself if you’re going to blatantly copy another person’s homework.
To wit, Newsom and his staff had been making waves on platforms like X of late, with a newfound zest and snark to their posts.
In short, Newsom and his team were mimicking the tough talk and bombast from President Donald Trump, but with an obvious anti-MAGA twist.
And sometimes that zeal to mimic Trump has backfired — as is the ongoing situation with Dhillon.
Dhillon told Fox News that the Justice Department had alerted her to several disparaging replies beneath a social media post that came from a Newsom staffer.
The post in question “appeared to blame [Dhillon] for the fire at a South Carolina judge’s home.”
More so, according to screenshots reviewed by Fox News, a since-deleted X account posted the remark, “I’m just saying Harmeet Dhillon’s address can’t be hard to find.”
“I’ll let you in two weeks,” one response to that remark said.
Dhillon, a tough conservative who was once in contention to chair the RNC, took to X to let the bad actors know that they’d already been referred to law enforcement.
Threats against me are referred to
the US Marshals. There have been several tonight. We will tolerate no such threats by woke idiots, including those who work for @GavinNewsom.
Govern yourselves accordingly. FAFO.— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) October 6, 2025
“Threats against me are referred to the US Marshals,” Dhillon posted Monday. “There have been several tonight. We will tolerate no such threats by woke idiots, including those who work for [Gavin Newsom]. Govern yourselves accordingly.”
Dhillon punctuated her message with the acronym for a popular bit of internet slang: “F*** around and find out.”
Specifically, the offending posts in question appear to have come from Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s communications director, according to Fox News.
Gardon took issue with Dhillon’s statements, and actually demanded an apology.
“Ms. Dhillon owes us a full apology for her blatantly false implications,” Gardon said in a statement.
Gardon took things even further: “Our office never threatened her, in contrast to the Trump Administration’s vile rhetoric against sitting judges. In recent weeks, Trump officials have referred to judges as ‘terrorists’ and ‘legal insurrectionists.’ She and her associates own that dangerous, disgraceful, and un-American rhetoric, and she should apologize for that, too.”
As far as that apology goes, Dhillon made crystal clear where she stood on the matter.
Don’t hold your breath, bro — I said nothing requiring an apology. Your staff are the ones putting targets on federal officials. https://t.co/gTzSBX9W4h
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) October 6, 2025
“Don’t hold your breath, bro — I said nothing requiring an apology,” Dhillon fired back. “Your staff are the ones putting targets on federal officials.”
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