Spain’s Prime Minister Skips Trump’s UN Reception, Meets Gavin Newsom and Tech Leaders

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, declined to attend a United Nations General Assembly reception hosted by former U.S. President Donald Trump in New York and instead prioritized meetings with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Australia's prime minister.

Schedule, Politics and Optics

Sánchez, who traveled to Manhattan for the annual U.N. gathering, has clashed publicly with the 80-year-old Trump on issues including the war in Iran and NATO. Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said the invitation to the Trump-hosted dinner arrived only a few days before the trip and that Sánchez's itinerary had already been finalized.

“He is not going to attend that dinner, but basically because the invitation arrived a few days ago, when the whole trip was already prepared,” Saiz told El País.

Spanish media have suggested an additional reason for the decision: Sánchez faces an election next year and may have sought to avoid being photographed with Trump, whose approval is low in Spain.

Newsom and Sanchez discussed clean energy and climate action. / X/Cagovernor

Comments and Engagements

Sánchez described Trump’s Tuesday address as “very ideological” and “not backed and supported by facts and data.” He also appeared on Jon Stewart’s The Weekly Show to criticize Trump’s stances on climate, the Iran war and Middle East policy.

Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized a practical outcome from their meeting: a new memorandum of understanding to deepen California–Spain collaboration on climate action and clean energy. Newsom wrote on X that the MOU will help “advance clean energy, create jobs, and cut pollution.”

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.