Newsom at Davos: 'Dormant, Not Dead' — Promises to Revive American Leadership While Criticizing Trump

California Governor Gavin Newsom won applause at the World Economic Forum in Davos when he delivered a pointed critique of President Donald Trump while arguing that U.S. global leadership is "dormant, not dead." Speaking at the Congress Center, Newsom balanced sharp political rhetoric with a call to preserve long-standing alliances and America's global role.

Accusations and Applause

Newsom spoke a day after Mr. Trump stepped back from threats to seize Greenland and two days after the Canadian prime minister suggested allies should hedge their bets by deepening ties with China. At Davos, Newsom described Trump as an anomalous figure who "will be remembered in years, not decades," and accused the administration of overseeing "corruption and graft at a scale we’ve never seen in American history." His remarks drew repeated applause from attendees that included European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

Alliances, Trade and Manufacturing

While praising the courage of figures like Mark Carney for taking principled stands, Newsom warned against deals that shift manufacturing overseas. He criticized a recent agreement he said would introduce lower-cost electric vehicles manufactured outside the U.S. into Canada, calling that trend illustrative of what he sees as reckless foreign policy. "It takes decades and decades to build trust in organizations... It takes weeks, tweets, hours, minutes, sometimes to destroy it," he said.

Responses on Social Media

Newsom defended using pointed social-media responses to push back against what he called the White House's personal and sometimes salacious attacks. "It’s deeply unbecoming — of course it is — but you’ve got to point out the absurdity. You’ve got to put a mirror up to this," he said, lampooning one critic, Scott Bessent, who had mocked Newsom as a "Ken doll," as looking "as if he was reading a diary and had just broken up with someone." (Bessent is a private-sector critic rather than a cabinet official.)

Domestic Policy and California’s Future

On state policy, Newsom opposed a proposal by a California union to fund health care with a one-time wealth tax on the state’s ultra-rich, warning that capital is mobile and that states compete to retain investment. He predicted the referendum would likely fail if placed on the ballot. Pressed about governance in major Democratic cities, he rejected the premise that Democratic policies are to blame for problems such as wildfire, arguing environmental factors play a central role.

Looking Ahead

Newsom defended California’s approach to social programs and immigration — including expanded state health coverage for undocumented migrants — and touted the state’s tech resurgence: new venture-capital inflows, an expanding roster of tech companies, and the presence of firms like OpenAI in the Bay Area. "California has figured it out in many respects," he said, insisting the state has found a balance between economic dynamism and social investment. His comments at Davos underscore his profile on the international stage and raise questions about his political trajectory ahead of a likely 2028 presidential bid.

Note: This article has been edited for clarity and factual accuracy where original attributions were unclear or incomplete.