Newsom Walks Back ICE Rhetoric After Ben Shapiro Confrontation

California Governor Gavin Newsom appeared to retreat from incendiary language previously used by his own press team during a pointed interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on Thursday.

Newsom faced tough questioning from Shapiro on the governor’s podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” with the two sparring over immigration enforcement, political language, and other issues.

A central clash emerged when Shapiro pressed the governor on statements issued by Newsom’s office following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Newsom’s press team had described the incident as “state-sponsored terrorism,” a phrase that quickly drew national attention.

The shooting ignited widespread controversy and intensified debate over law enforcement practices and the rhetoric used to describe federal immigration authorities.

“Your press office tweeted out that it was state-sponsored terrorism,” Shapiro said, challenging the framing and defending federal agents.

“Our ICE officers obviously are not terrorists,” Shapiro added.

“Yeah, I think that’s fair,” Newsom responded, signaling agreement. The governor also said he “disagreed” that ICE should be abolished.

The exchange rapidly spread online, with critics pointing to the moment as proof that Newsom’s public statements were out of sync with the aggressive messaging coming from his own communications team.