California Governor Gavin Newsom has hit back at Katie Miller, wife of White House adviser Stephen Miller, after she blamed him for the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC.
In an interview on Fox News, Miller described how her husband shielded her and their unborn child as they fled the Washington Hilton ballroom after a gunman rushed security. She claimed it was “no mistake” that the suspected gunman, Cole Thomas Allen, hails from California, and accused Newsom of being among the “worst offenders” of violent political rhetoric.
Newsom condemned Miller’s “absurd statement” in a post on X, writing that political violence is “NEVER acceptable” and praising the fact that the President was uninjured. He went on to accuse Miller of amplifying Donald Trump’s “dangerous rhetoric”, citing the President’s past comments about political opponents and immigrants, as well as his praise for the January 6 attack.
The exchange came after social media users questioned images showing Stephen Miller apparently hiding behind his pregnant wife, with Katie Miller insisting her husband had done a “phenomenal job” and was protecting her and their baby. The suspected gunman, 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen from Torrance, California, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the President and two weapons offences. He shot one Secret Service agent, who has since been released from hospital.
