Gavin Newsom trolled Trump’s entire national security team during the Iran war, and each photo he chose was more damaging than the last

California Governor Gavin Newsom took a direct shot at President Trump’s national security team by posting a series of photos on X. His press office shared the images as fears of attacks on U.S. soil grew during Trump’s war with Iran. The post highlighted four key figures in charge of keeping the country safe.

According to The Daily Beast, the four people featured were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old placed in charge of a domestic terror unit by former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem last year. Each photo was chosen to raise questions about these appointments.

For Pete Hegseth, Newsom used a photo of him holding a champagne bottle on air while working as a Fox News host on New Year’s Eve 2023. After Trump nominated him, several former Fox News colleagues raised concerns about his drinking. One former Fox employee said, “His drinking should be disqualifying.” Hegseth denied the claims but has since been caught up in multiple scandals.

Trump’s national security picks have a long list of controversies worth paying attention to

For FBI Director Kash Patel, Newsom posted a photo of him drinking beer with the U.S. men’s hockey team after their gold medal win at the Milan Olympics in February. The footage of his partying reportedly prompted Trump, who does not drink, to scold him.

Patel also used a taxpayer-funded plane to attend the event, despite his agency claiming the trip was for official business. He has been nicknamed “Keystone Kash” over his handling of several high-profile investigations.

Next, Newsom posted a photo of Markwayne Mullin taken during the January 6 Capitol attack. During that day, the former MMA fighter helped officers barricade the doors to the House floor. However, Mullin later voted against certifying the election results and repeated Trump’s unproven fraud claims.

The Oklahoma senator, 48, was confirmed as the new DHS Secretary on Monday, despite concerns about his temperament and his ties to a hardline evangelical Christian group. Finally, Newsom highlighted Thomas Fugate, who was put in charge of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), a unit focused on fighting domestic terrorism.

Fugate had no experience in counterterrorism. His previous jobs were as a gardener and a grocery store clerk. DHS later tried to play down his role after the appointment drew attention. The post drew widespread attention as it came at a time when the U.S. is dealing with the threat of Iranian retaliation. 

Newsom’s decision to put these images together in one post made a clear political statement about who is currently leading the country’s national security agencies. There are also growing questions about how Trump is deploying federal agents across the country and what his administration’s broader security strategy looks like.

The photos collectively raised serious questions about the vetting process behind some of the most important national security appointments in the country. Each pick, for different reasons, has faced public scrutiny since taking their respective roles. You can read more about how Trump handles awkward public moments on the campaign trail.