California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequently mentioned prospect for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, is facing fresh criticism after appearing to retreat from a sharply worded attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a podcast interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
The blowback comes amid intense scrutiny of ICE following last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in Minneapolis. In the days since, ICE and other federal officers have been documented engaging in conduct that critics describe as aggressive and unlawful—ranging from racial profiling and “citizenship checks” to physical force, including an incident in which a disabled U.S. citizen was reportedly pulled from her vehicle on the way to a medical appointment, as the Associated Press reported Friday.
Earlier this month, Newsom’s press office used especially incendiary language to condemn the agency. On January 7, it described ICE’s actions as “state-sponsored terrorism,” using the phrase in reference to Good’s killing by agent Jonathan Ross. Video and eyewitness accounts described Ross stepping in front of Good’s vehicle before shooting her in the head and insulting her, while other agents allegedly delayed emergency responders from reaching the scene.
But Newsom struck a different tone when Shapiro pressed him on that wording during Shapiro’s podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, on Thursday.
“Your press office tweeted out that it was state-sponsored terrorism,” Shapiro said, arguing the language made politics worse and insisting, “Our ICE officers obviously are not terrorists.”
Newsom responded with a simple concession: “Yeah.” When Shapiro added, “A tragic situation is not state-sponsored terrorism,” Newsom agreed again: “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”
A short clip of that exchange circulated widely online—promoted by Shapiro’s outlet, the Daily Wire—and drew immediate criticism from voices on the left who wanted Newsom to hold his ground.
Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo, questioned why Newsom would “wreck his otherwise very strong chance” at the 2028 nomination by hosting a show where “right-wing guests” can “walk all over him” and then share the clips.
And for critics, the terrorism exchange wasn’t the only moment that felt like a retreat.
When Shapiro challenged California’s “sanctuary state” reputation and suggested the state should “cooperate with ICE in the vast majority of cases,” Newsom replied: “That’s exactly what they do in California.”
He went further, saying California has cooperated in “over 10,000” deportations since he became governor. Newsom emphasized that the state’s sanctuary framework limits cooperation largely to correctional settings, but advocates have argued the policy still enables deportations in cases involving people who were never convicted or whose charges were dropped.
“California has cooperated with more ICE transfers, probably, than any other state in the country,” Newsom said, adding that he has vetoed legislation aimed at restricting cooperation. He cited vetoes of at least two Democratic-backed bills: one in 2023 that would have rolled back prison transfer requirements, and another in 2019 that would have barred private security firms from entering California prisons to facilitate ICE transfers.
Later, Shapiro asked whether Newsom supported calls from some Democrats to “abolish” ICE after the shooting—an idea associated with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), among others.
Newsom said, “I disagree,” and then claimed that Kamala Harris had embraced abolition during a prior campaign. Critics quickly pointed out that Harris has not called to abolish ICE; she has previously said the agency “has a purpose” and “should exist,” while arguing for changes to priorities and oversight.
For many progressives, Newsom’s posture on the podcast landed as politically out of step with a Democratic base that has grown more hostile toward ICE—especially after the Minnesota incidents, which some critics say have fueled perceptions of ICE acting as a kind of personal paramilitary force for President Donald Trump rather than as a conventional law enforcement agency.
A poll earlier this week from Economist/YouGov found that, for the first time, “abolishing ICE” drew more support (46%) than opposition (43%) among American adults. Among Democratic-leaning respondents, the poll reported 80% support for abolishing the agency, compared with 11% opposition.
“This is an unbelievably stupid move from Gavin Newsom,” wrote Mason, the host of the left-wing talk show One Hand Politics, reacting to Newsom’s rejection of abolition. He urged Newsom to “grow a fucking spine” and stop courting Republican moderates he argued “don’t exist.”
Brian Tashman, a political researcher and strategist with the ACLU, also criticized Newsom’s approach, saying the governor appeared unwilling to challenge Shapiro but had been willing to fight labor-backed efforts like a billionaire tax.
And left-wing commentator Joe Mayall framed the episode as a warning sign for a potential 2028 showdown with Vice President JD Vance, widely viewed as a top Republican successor to Trump.
“If you get cooked by Ben Shapiro,” Mayall wrote, “you don’t have a chance against Vance.”
