The White House called California Gov. Gavin Newsom a nobody who has been “frolicking around Switzerland,” in response to claims the Trump administration shut him out of an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Newsom’s press office had said the White House and State Department denied the governor entry to a “fireside chat” Wednesday hosted by Fortune that the democrat was invited to speak at.
The White House fired back at Newsom’s claim, saying the governor is not a priority for them, a Trump spokeswoman exclusively told The Post.
BREAKING: Under pressure from the White House and State Department, USA House (a church acting as the official US pavilion) is now denying entry to @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom to speak with media after Fortune — the official media partner — invited him to speak.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 21, 2026
“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 told The Post.
The White House’s “Rapid Response” X account also posted: “The failing Governor of California (rampant with fraud) watches from the corner cuck chair as @POTUS delivers a true masterclass in Davos. Embarrassing!” along with video of Newsom watching Trump’s speech at the forum earlier Wednesday.
An official from the Newsom administration told The Post that Fortune invited the governor to speak at the “fireside chat” at USA House on Jan. 13 and that his office accepted on Monday.
But on Wednesday, a USA House official canceled the talk, saying an “elected official” didn’t fit into the afternoon schedule, the official said.
The decision came after multiple Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, had spoken at the event, the official added.
As a substitute, USA House offered Newsom a 10 p.m. “nightcap reception.”
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The official said that Bessent later told them, “I was told he was asked to give a speech on his signature policies but he’s not speaking.”
“How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” Newsom wrote on X.
Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential contender, hasn’t shied away from taking on Trump on the global stage. This week, the governor butted heads with Trump when he called the president a “T-Rex,” implying he bullied European leaders. He also slammed Bessent as “out of touch.”
