The world’s elite have gathered in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum. I remember when Davos was such a hotspot, actual celebrities mingled with trade ministers and business titans. These days, Davos is a bummer because of Donald Trump and how much everyone f–king hates him and his merry band of ugly fascists. Before Trump even waddled into Davos, his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tried to give a speech at an official dinner. Europeans scoffed but AL GORE openly heckled him. Then came Trump’s absolutely unhinged rant on Wednesday, where he repeatedly called Greenland “Iceland” and made cracks about how the Swiss would be speaking German if not for the United States (German is one of Switzerland’s official languages).
After Trump sh-t his pants on the global stage, California’s Gov. Newsom was one of the loudest critics. Newsom, who is also in Davos, told the assembled media that it was “a very insignificant speech. He wanted Greenland last week. He wanted Greenland two weeks ago, and he said we should negotiate. And the European Union said, ‘We are happy to negotiate, and we never kicked you out. You kind of walked out. You can still put your bases there.’” The best reaction I saw was actually from a Brit – Alastair Campbell was asked what his main takeaway was from Trump’s speech and he said: “How embarrassing it all was.” Well, Trump only heard Newsom’s criticism, and Trump’s fascist elves went about punishing Newsom.
Gavin Newsom was informed at the 11th hour that his talk with Fortune at USA House in Davos was canceled. Newsom had been invited to speak on Wednesday at an event sponsored by USA House, which for the first time was recognized by the U.S. government as the country’s official headquarters at Davos. But an organizer told his office that they had opted to not include any U.S. officials in the talk focused on CEOs and other business leaders.
In a private exchange of messages obtained by POLITICO, a Newsom administration official accused the USA House of bowing to political pressure from the State Department — an accusation the organizer denied, while emphasizing the governor was still welcome in the venue — in a microcosm of the larger geopolitical tensions on display.
The back-and-forth reflected the political sparring match playing out at the gathering of the world’s elite. Newsom, the Democratic governor of California and a likely 2028 presidential contender, attended to trumpet California as an alternative to the vision laid out by Trump officials who also gathered in Switzerland.
In the exchange, an event organizer denied to a Newsom official that the organization had “un-invited” Newsom or acted under any political imperative. USA House did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
Newsom has planned to use the gathering to excoriate what he casts as the Trump administration’s abuses of power, framing California — and implicitly himself — as a better partner to European allies who are reeling from Trump’s effort to claim Greenland. He challenged European counterparts this week to confront Trump, calling the president “pathetic.”
Not only did Trump and his cronies ensure that Newsom was uninvited from speaking at USA House, Trump sent out his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to call Newsom “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken.” Like… you’re Trump’s Treasury Secretary. You are overseeing the worst domestic economy since the pandemic and/or the 2008 recession. And you’re trying to slam the governor of the country’s largest state economy?
'SHAME ON HIM': Trump Treasury chief Scott Bessent rips Gavin Newsom during remarks in Davos, Switzerland, mocking the California governor as "Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken" and "the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris."
"My message to… pic.twitter.com/ts4755CdL2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 21, 2026
Congrats, sir! pic.twitter.com/Hr4Zma36GH
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 21, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 20 January.,Image: 1067733696, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: World Economic Forum/Avalon
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- Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 20 January.,Image: 1067733985, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: World Economic Forum/Avalon
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- Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 20 January.,Image: 1067734021, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: World Economic Forum/Avalon
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- Special Address by Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America session with Børge Brende, President and CEO, World Economic Forum, Switzerland; Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America; at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on 21/1/2026 from 14:30 to 15:15 in the Congress Centre – Congress Hall (Zone C), Plenary. (special address/usa).,Image: 1068077933, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: /World Economic Forum/Avalon
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- USA President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 21 January 2026.,Image: 1068108231, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: AMIT LAVEE/World Economic Forum/Avalon
He’s so disgusting. Walking around babbling about nonsense in his shit filled diaper. I’m sick of him and his fascist bitches.
I loathe Trump. And no one should be invited to speak and then told that they can’t. But I’m also starting to loathe Newsom. He reserves all his fire for Trump but sucks up to MAGA influencers on his stupid podcast. It’s not just that he invites them on, but he’s invited a lot of them. He fails totally to push back on any of the vile things they say. Last week it was Ben Shapiro he was busy fawning over. He even threw his own press office under the bus for calling ICE terrorists because Shapiro disapproved. Here in Minnesota we can assure them both that ICE is indeed a scroungy collection of terrorists.
When he arrived in Davos, Newsome condescendingly huffed that everyone in Davos should grow a spine and stand up to Trump. Then in his smart ass way, he suggested that they treat Trump so kindly that he brought knee pads for them. What? He should keep some knee pads handy for himself the next time he has some MAGA influencers on his podcast which I’m sure will be very soon. Hating on Trump while bowing to his sycophants and enablers is a weird, stupid strategy for whatever he is trying to do.
@Brassy…you and I are on the SAME page regarding Newsome…except I have DESPISED HIM…FOR YEARS 🤬 💔🇺🇸💔
He’s as slick as his hairdo. 😆
This part! I keep writing comments that are deleted but it is absurd that Newsom is suggesting other countries grow a spine when many Americans have not.
Carney’s speech was by far the best one given at Dvos this year. Practical, and direct. It got a standing ovation, which never happens at Davos. The American media is covering it badly and of course only focuing on the American lens(also badly) without analysis of the what it means for the world and the post world war institutional order.
The idea that Newsom is fighting Trump makes me laugh. He’s trolling Trump which is not fighting him. Over the summer it was Mayor Bass who was out on the street confronting ICE and protecting her people as much as she could. Newsom was nowhere to be found or off issuing fiery statements.
I agree with you about Carney’s speech. 🔥🔥🔥
I highly recommend watching Carney’s speech which lays out Canada’s measured response to the new reality caused by not just trump but other world actors.
I’m sorry but “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken” is actually a really sick burn. Did they hire a college intern for that one? Problem is that it’s another case of every accusation is a confession. Patrick Bateman is a psychopath who worships and emulates Trump. There’s plenty of Bateman Kens with maralago face running around but Newsom ain’t one.
It is a solid burn, but from Scott Bessent, who looks like a cross between the Monopoly man and a jar of Grey Poupon?
This is so embarrassing and horrifying. It isn’t just Trump doing this. All his white house admin, Supreme Court judges, Republicans in house and senate, donors and millionaire CEOs. He would be nothing without all these people in powerful positions propping him up. Only one person (Newsom) is there visibly fighting back.
Don’t forget the voters. I was just reading yesterday that 80% of Republicans support what ICE is doing. 80%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If his base gave up on him, he’d have nothing. Alas, the cultists will be by his side till the bitter end–and the end is where we’re headed.
To quote Bernie Sanders, people elected a “ “And what it is, it really is, it’s like a narcissistic 4-year-old spoiled brat. ‘I’m going to yell and scream because I didn’t get my extra cup of ice cream.’ So, you know.”
Coward Buttlick!!
Thank heaven for Gavin, he’s the only one standing up to demented donnie the commie.
Where are the rest of the Democrats?
Since other Democrats have literally been arrested and roughed up, not to mention what they are able to stop in Congress (stripping trans rights), I don’t know why you would say this. 🤔Visit Democrats.org to learn about what they are doing.
I don’t think the problem is so much that Democrats aren’t doing anything, but just frustration that most of them are still trying to take the high road, presenting their arguments and accomplishments as if they were dealing with rational people rather than a senile fascist and his cult. “Calm and measured” is going to be drowned out every time when it’s up against loud and proud hate and ignorance. Newsome is definitely problematic, but people want affirmation for their anger, and other, more palatable Democrats could benefit from tapping into that as he has done.
@ Miranda-Exactly–very well-said. I think OP wasn’t necessarily speaking about the actions of the individual Dems referenced in the replies but rather the collective, being led by party leaders like Schumer and Jeffries. I 100% understand the perception that Americans *feel* like they’re doing nothing–or at least not enough. And that is definitely reflected in the polling because the party has never been more unpopular.
And I know they’re in a terrible position in terms of having no power–I believe that a lot of them are as frustrated as we are. But we elect politicians to solve problems in government and Trump’s limitless power is a HUGE problem. I’d like to see them wielding what little power they have more creatively in an attempt to put a check on Trump.
Oh, and every single one of them should be voting against the ICE funding bill. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. yet we know some are already saying they will vote yes and others are undecided. It’s infuriating.
@ Lisa, Democrats like Jamie Raskin? AOC? Jasmine Crockett? Governor Pritzker? Abigail Spanberger?
Many Democrats such as these have been speaking out against Trump and his policies for years — well beyond their local constituencies. Perhaps your perceptions have been limited by the news sources that you follow? You might find Heather Cox Richardson’s articles and podcasts informative, as well as some of the pieces by mental health professionals who’ve been raising concerns about Trump’s fitness for office for over a decade.
Not a fan of Newsome (to put it mildly) but God how do I love that Al Gore is all out of fucks. For my mental health I try not to think about what life would be like if we were on the Al Gore was president timeline. Or The Apprentice never aired timeline.
Ditto.
Sadly, absolute same.
I had heard Gore was there so I did have a passing thought that it would be funny if he just started trolling these idiots. And he did! I loved it.
Lutnick’s whole “19th C American economics was brilliant, actually” needs to be mocked endlessly, everywhere, forever. He even got the felon to brag recently about how tariffs were even used up to 1932 in the Great Depression. Yes, show of hands who thinks Hoover was a brilliant economist. And what happened that November, fascist nutjobs?
I hate these people. All-encompassing hatred.
It makes me sick that mainstream media refuses to describe that embarrassing spectacle for it was: the lowest moment for our country on an international stage and utterly humiliating for the citizens of America. Our “leader” is stark-raving mad lunatic who is struggling with dementia.
So sick of legacy media whitewashing this clown.
CA resident here. Newsom has a reason to openly challenge 47, and be pissed. He probably would not be so openly disrespectful if 47 hadn’t started it first. Rolling over and taking it does not work with the current administration. We pay taxes and we’ve been openly denied our rightful funding to rebuild after fires. He is absolutely punishing our (and other) blue states. The troops and ICE never went away. Love him or hate him, Newsom has a right to lobby for commerce in our state, especially since we have A LOT of Asian commerce. If 47 won’t lobby hard for us, Newsom still has to generate commerce and trade agreements for our state (like all past governors have done).
I agree 💯 he should not have been prevented from speaking. Whatever I think of his politics, he is the governor of the largest state and economy in the nation.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has lost all its credibility long before today. But this year the worst thing was them inviting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi amidst Iranian government committing democide with a death toll estimated as high as 40,000 murdered already, the situation worsened by massive war crimes like using chemical weapons, inviting international jihadist mercenaries to kill unarmed protesters, making families to pay for the bodies of the murdered loved ones, executing wounded in the hospital beds. The streets of Tehran and other cities are literaly red with blood. But they only pulled the invitation last minute after a massive public outcry.
Can’t wait till our national nightmare is over.