California Gov. Gavin Newsom said organizers at the USA House venue during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, denied him entry to speak with the media—an action his office claims came after pressure from the White House and the State Department.
Newsom, a Democrat, amplified the claim by responding to his team’s post on X on Wednesday: “How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?”
The dispute surfaced as Newsom kept a high-profile presence in Davos, where he has sharply criticized European leaders’ responses to President Donald Trump’s policies—especially the administration’s push on Greenland. Newsom made the comments in exchanges with reporters and in interviews earlier in the week.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly pushed back in a statement to 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 also addressed the episode in an emailed statement to Newsweek, saying Newsom had been invited to take part in a discussion at USA House, but the venue later declined to host it. “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,” the magazine said.
Why It Matters
Newsom’s clash with the Trump administration has intensified during the first year of the president’s second term. The governor has criticized Trump on immigration, federal funding, and foreign policy. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly attacked Newsom’s leadership in California, pointing to immigration concerns, homelessness, and taxes.
As that feud has sharpened, the governor’s presence at Davos—one of the world’s most visible political and economic gatherings—has put those tensions under a global spotlight as U.S. policy and alliances face heightened scrutiny.
What To Know
Newsom’s press office said he was denied entry to USA House after being invited by Fortune, and claimed the decision was made “under pressure from the White House and State Department,” according to the office’s post on X.
While in Davos, Newsom criticized European leaders for what he described as a timid response to Trump’s foreign policy and the administration’s Greenland push, 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.
His remarks come as tensions with European allies have risen over Trump’s posture on Greenland and NATO, with the administration adopting a more aggressive approach that challenges long-standing post–Cold War assumptions.
Separately, Newsom attended a talk by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Reporters described Newsom reacting visibly to some of Bessent’s claims—on topics including fuel prices and incomes—according to Mediaite.
What People Are Saying
Newsom said Tuesday in 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, wrote on X: “Hating from outside the club because he can’t get in LMAO.”
Fortune said in a statement to Newsweek that its editorial programming is independent, while noting that participation can shift due to access, security, and logistical factors involving multiple stakeholders. The magazine added that it expects to hold future conversations with Newsom and leaders across the political spectrum.
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether USA House will revisit its decision, or whether Newsom will secure another venue at Davos to speak with the media as the forum continues.
