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.
