California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday hit out at world leaders for their ‘complicity’ towards US President Trump’s threats to take over Greenland. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Newsom urged European leaders to remain united.
‘Just pathetic’
“I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over. I should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders. It’s just pathetic. And I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage,” Newsom said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
“Trump is a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you, one or the other, and you need to stand up to it,” Newsom said.
‘Europe got played by Trump’
He also said that Europe has been played by Trump.
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“One thing Europeans can’t do is what they’ve been doing, they’ve been played. Trump is playing folks for fools. Europeans need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united. A year ago you should have this conversation; you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price,” he said.
According to Newsom, Trump is a wrecking ball, and his approach is not diplomacy, but stupidity.
“It’s the law of the jungle. The rule of Don. The goal is the world in his image. Why don’t politicians do what they say privately, publicly? Everyone is laughing behind his back; meanwhile, they’re sucking up to him. It is embarrassing. This is not diplomacy, this is stupidity,” Newsom said.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California at Davos, does not hold back in criticising Keir Starmer and the European Union for capitulating to Trump,
"I can't take this complicity, people rolling over, I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders"
The 58-year-old is widely considered the frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2028. Throughout 2025, Newsom has locked horns with Trump over various issues, including the deployment of the National Guard in California.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 
