Gavin Newsom Faces Backlash Over Comments Targeting Vance Family Amid Immigration Raid
California Governor Gavin Newsom, widely regarded as a potential frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, is facing criticism for a social media post targeting Vice President J.D. Vance and his family during a vacation in California.
The controversy began when Vance, his wife Usha, and their children visited Disneyland in Anaheim. According to the Orange County Register, roughly 100 communist-affiliated protesters gathered outside the park to jeer the family, while additional demonstrations—mostly by older women—took place around the area during their visit. On Saturday, a small group assembled outside the nearby Grand Californian Hotel, where Vance was reportedly staying, waving Mexican flags amid ongoing anti-Trump rallies.
Though the visit was entirely personal and non-political, some local Democratic officials encouraged demonstrators to confront the Vance family. “I’m offended by the visit,” Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento told KTLA. “So many families are being terrorized by the federal government’s policies.”
Newsom amplified the criticism in a post to his 2.3 million followers on X, writing:
“Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you’re tearing apart certainly won’t.”
The governor’s remarks appear tied to a federal immigration enforcement operation conducted Thursday at Glass House Farms in Ventura County, where authorities rescued several minors who had been forced to harvest marijuana. Among the 300 undocumented workers detained was a man with a history of violent and sexual offenses, including attempted child exploitation.
“This illegal alien was apprehended at the California marijuana facility,” Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott posted on X, noting that the man had previously been sentenced to seven years for kidnapping and attempted rape, with a prior conviction for attempted child molestation. “And this felon was working at the same farm as 10 kids – one being 14 years old.”
While Newsom’s post drew praise from the far-left, it sparked widespread backlash from conservatives and independent commentators. Conservative attorney Will Chamberlain mocked the governor, writing, “He’s not returning your underage illegal alien indentured servants to work on your donor’s pot farm, if that’s what you’re asking.” Independent legal analyst Viva Frei added, “You have been facilitating child trafficking for forced labor, Newscum. You’ve got some nerve trying to shame JD Vance for being a father.”
Newsom defended his stance on X, sharing video of minors appearing to flee tear gas deployed by ICE agents and framing the operation as targeting vulnerable families. “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum,” he wrote.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin quickly pushed back, highlighting the criminal history of the detained worker. “These are the violent monsters @GavinNewsom is defending: this criminal illegal alien was apprehended at the California marijuana facility. He was sentenced to 7 years for KIDNAPPING & attempted RAPE. He also had a prior conviction for attempted child molestation. He was working at the same farm as the 9 unaccompanied children. This is depraved,” McLaughlin wrote on X.
The enforcement action led to violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement and drew hundreds of demonstrators, KTLA reported. The raids, which began around 8:30 a.m., targeted the Camarillo farm and another facility 35 miles north in Carpinteria. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Scott confirmed that ten undocumented minors were found at the Camarillo farm, including eight unaccompanied children, and noted that Glass House Farms is now under investigation for potential child labor violations.
The incident has sparked a politically charged debate over Newsom’s comments, raising questions about the intersection of immigration enforcement, child labor, and partisan rhetoric, just as he is widely viewed as a leading Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential race.