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By Hollie Silverman
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California Governor Gavin Newsom said organizers at the USA House venue at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, denied him entry to speak with the media after pressure from the White House and the State Department.
Newsom, a Democrat, commented on the post from his team on X Wednesday, saying, "How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?"
The allegation surfaced as Newsom continued a high-profile presence at Davos, where he criticized European leaders’ responses to President Donald Trump’s policies and the administration’s efforts concerning Greenland, comments he made in exchanges with reporters and outlets earlier in the week.
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White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek on Wednesday: "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.”
Fortune magazine told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Wednesday, "Governor Newsom had been invited to participate in a Fortune conversation at USA House in Davos. Subsequently, USA House determined it would not be able to accommodate the Governor’s participation and communicated that decision to Fortune."
Why It Matters
Tensions have continued to escalate between Newsom and the Trump administration during the first year of the president's second term. Newsom has openly criticized the president's policies on immigration, federal funding, and foreign policy, while Trump has thrown jabs at Newsom for his handling of California. Trump has repeatedly talked about Newsom's inability to control the state, noting the immigration issues, homeless crisis and taxes.
Those issues have now been put in the spotlight at the high-visibility global forum in Davos, where U.S. policy and alliances drew intense scrutiny.
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What To Know
Newsom’s press office said the USA House denied him entry after he was invited to speak by Fortune. This was done “under pressure from the White House and State Department,” according to the office's post on X.
In Davos, Newsom has criticized European leaders over their response to Trump’s foreign policy and his administration’s push to take control of Greenland, calling their approach “pathetic” and “embarrassing."
"I can't take this complicity. People rolling over. I should have bought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders," Newsom told reporters on Tuesday in Davos.
Newsom’s comments come amid heightened friction with European allies over Trump’s approach to Greenland and NATO, as the administration has adopted a harder-edged policy posture that has challenged post–Cold War norms.
Separately, Newsom attended Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s talk in Davos, where reporters described the governor reacting visibly to some of Bessent’s assertions, including on fuel prices and incomes, according to Mediaite.
What People Are Saying
Gavin Newsom said Tuesday during Davos, according to The Hill: “It’s time to buck up. It’s time to get serious. And stop being complicit. It’s time to stand tall and firm, have a backbone.”
CJ Pearson, National Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Youth Advisory Council, said on X: "Hating from outside the club because he can't get in LMAO."
Fortune told Newsweek in a statement: "Fortune programs all editorial conversations independently, though it is common with high-profile international events that participation can be affected by logistical, security, and other access considerations that involve multiple stakeholders and evolve over time.
"Fortune’s journalism focuses on the impact of public policy on businesses, the global economy, and society, and we engage leaders across the broad political spectrum to inform our content. We look forward to future conversations with Governor Newsom, as well as leaders from each and every side of these important global conversations."
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether the USA House would revisit its decision or whether Newsom would secure an alternative Davos venue for media remarks as the forum continued.
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