By Eliyahu Kamisher, Bloomberg
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was denied entry to an event at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos after pressure from the White House, escalating a fight between President Donald Trump and one of his most prominent Democratic critics.
Newsom had been invited to speak at an event at the USA House, a venue showcasing US companies at Davos, his office said in a post on X. The USA House “under pressure from the White House and State Department” restricted his entrance to the area, according to his office.
RELATED: Gov. Newsom urges ‘pathetic’ world leaders to stand up to Trump
“No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
The USA House, located in a church just outside the security perimeter in Davos, is hosting panels with CEOs and Cabinet officials throughout the week. The venue is “privately organized and supported through private sponsorships,” according to its website. Sponsors include Microsoft, Pfizer and other corporate giants.
Newsom had planned to respond to Trump’s Davos address during the media event at the USA House, which was being hosted by Fortune, his office said. USA House officials told the governor’s staff they had cancelled the event shortly before it took place, according to Newsom’s office.
After Newsom was un-invited to the USA House event, he was then offered to join a “VIP nightcap” where he could have an off-the-record drink without reporters present, his office said, adding the governor declined the invitation. He ended up going to a neighboring party at the Wall Street Journal, where he became a star attraction, and is scheduled to do other public events.
Newsom, who’s widely seen a presidential contender in 2028, has tried positioning himself as an alternative to Trump in Davos, igniting a war of words with the White House. The Democratic governor has urged leaders at Davos to push back against Trump’s push to acquire Greenland calling their responses “pathetic.”
“I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders,” he said earlier this week. He also attended a speech by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, where Newsom was seen scoffing at the secretary’s remarks.
The Trump administration has clapped back. During a speech Wednesday, Bessent said Newsom was “the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris.”
Even Trump took note of his rival’s presence in Davos. Trump acknowledged the California governor during his speech, after Newsom was spotted watching it leaning against a wall.
“I know Gavin was here. I used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president,” Trump said, referring to his first term. “Gavin’s a good guy.”
–With assistance from Skylar Woodhouse and Laura Noonan.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2026 Bloomberg L.P.