Rep. Ro Khanna (D‑Calif.) defended Fox News commentator and former White House press secretary Dana Perino Tuesday, apparently in response to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s criticism of her.
In a post on the social platform X, Khanna wrote: “.@DanaPerino was an accomplished press secretary to President Bush & is a fair journalist. Just because Trump attacks journalists does not mean we need to attack those who challenge or criticize us. Our party will win back trust by standing up for our nation's core values.”
On Monday, Newsom’s press office pushed back at Perino’s on-air criticism, where she urged, “You have to stop it with the Twitter thing… If I were his wife, I would say you are making a fool of yourself, stop it” — with a sarcastic repost captioned: “ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON’T GET IT.”
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Newsom’s social media team has leaned into Trump-style provocations, complete with all-caps mockery, memes, and biting commentary, intended as parody.
Although Khanna’s tweet doesn’t mention Newsom by name, it followed closely on the heels of Perino’s critique and Newsom’s team’s mocking response.
Khanna emphasized decorum, “standing up for our nation's core values” — a subtle counterpoint to Newsom’s unrestrained trolling.
Newsom's supporters argue his social media shtick highlights the normalized double standards of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.
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On social media and among political watchers, responses were mixed.
Some applauded Khanna’s message as a necessary correction, arguing that criticism can be fair — even from those on the right. Others suggested the internal contrast could fuel a narrative that the party lacks strategic cohesion.