Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom’s official press account ignited controversy on Friday by calling President Donald Trump’s top immigration adviser, Stephen Miller, a “fascist cuck,” seemingly referencing rumors about Miller’s wife’s alleged relationship with billionaire Elon Musk.

The online clash began after Miller labeled U.S. District Court Judge Maame E. Frimpong a “communist” on X, following her order for the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests. Miller condemned the ruling as “another act of insurrection against the United States and its sovereign people.”

In response, Newsom’s press office fired back with a sharp retort on X, stating: “This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy.”

The term “cuck,” derived from “cuckold,” is commonly used as an insult implying weakness or humiliation, especially in reference to a man whose spouse is sexually involved with another person. The jab appeared to allude to unverified online speculation that Katie Miller, Stephen Miller’s wife—who was appointed by Musk to a role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—had a romantic involvement with Musk during his tenure as a special government employee.

After Musk resigned from DOGE, Katie Miller also left to join Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. Around the same time, Stephen Miller publicly defended Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” a spending package heavily criticized by Musk.

Adding fuel to the fire, the official Democratic Party X account posted the notorious “cuck chair” meme—depicting a hotel chair symbolizing a person watching their partner with someone else—in response to Miller’s defense of the bill.

On Friday, Governor Newsom applauded Judge Frimpong’s decision, declaring that “justice prevailed” and affirming that “California stands with the law and the Constitution.” He also called on the “Trump Administration to do the same.”