President Trump delivered a massive verbal hit against California Governor Gavin Newsom, labeling him a “lame duck” governor of a “failing state,” just one day after he had publicly called Newsom a “good guy,” as reported by The Hill. This rapid shift in tone really highlights the intense political environment right now, especially when dealing with a governor often seen as a potential White House contender for 2028.
In his Truth Social post, Trump argued that Newsom should absolutely not be at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, running around screaming for attention and embarrassing the entire country. The president specifically wrote, “Gavin Newscum, as a “Lame Duck” Governor of a Failing State, should not be at Davos running around screaming for the attention of Foreign Leaders, and embarrassing our Country. He made a mockery of himself, and everybody, including his staff, knows it.”
President Trump questioned how Newsom could even consider a presidential run given what the president called “the ruination of one of the most beautiful places on Earth, where people are leaving in droves.” The president added, “With a record like he’s got, the ruination of one of the most beautiful places on Earth, where people are leaving in droves, it is unimaginable that he could run for President but, who knows, it’s a very strange World!”
This isn’t the first time President Trump and Governor Newsom have sparred over California’s state of affairs
Newsom was, in fact, using the World Economic Forum stage for more than just networking. His presence there was clearly a political statement, and it seems to have been the direct trigger for the president’s strong reaction. Newsom spoke directly to the press, urging U.S. allies to “stand united” and “stand tall” in their ongoing fight against the White House’s unprecedented foreign policy measures.
The response from the administration was swift and, frankly, quite bizarre. It wasn’t just the president reacting, either. Administration officials and even some members of Newsom’s own party have rebuked his actions on the global stage. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had some truly colorful insults ready for the governor, leaning heavily into pop culture references.
Speaking at the forum, Bessent compared Newsom to the fictional, sociopathic character Patrick Bateman from the movie American Psycho and a Sparkle Beach Ken doll. He quipped, “Gov. Newsom, who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken, may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris.”
Newsom wasn’t going to let those comments slide, though. He quickly shot back at Bessent, turning the bizarre insult back on the secretary. Newsom said, “The Treasury secretary talked about a Barbie doll. It was as if he was reading a diary, and had just broken up with someone. I mean, it was a secretary of the Treasury using valuable time, yesterday, on the world stage.”
Since the beginning of his second term, President Trump has repeatedly accused Newsom of completely mismanaging the Golden State. The two had a particularly public fight last year over how California handled its destructive wildfires. This high-profile, international squabble shows you just how intense the political stakes are getting for any potential challenger.
Published: Jan 23, 2026 09:00 am