Gavin Newsom Heads to Davos to Challenge Trump/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ California Governor Gavin Newsom will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos next week to offer a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump’s economic policies. Positioned as a potential Democratic presidential contender, Newsom aims to champion California’s model of global openness and innovation while condemning what he calls Trump’s self-serving, anti-market agenda. His remarks will follow Trump’s speech and include private meetings with global leaders and executives.
Gavin Newsom to Confront Trump at Davos: Quick Looks
- Gov. Gavin Newsom will attend Davos 2026 to present an economic counterpoint to Trump.
- The California Democrat is scheduled to speak Thursday, one day after Trump’s appearance.
- Newsom accused Trump of “crony capitalism” and placing “Trump First” over America First.
- He will meet privately with foreign leaders and business executives.
- Newsom claims Trump’s policies undermine free markets and punish dissent.
- He plans to call out Davos attendees for being “complicit” in Trump’s agenda.
- Newsom’s political site is selling satirical kneepads mocking corporate compliance.
- The trip builds on his State of the State address and 2025 Brazil climate summit appearance.
- Newsom will promote California as a model of open, innovation-driven governance.
- His appearance adds fuel to presidential campaign speculation for 2028.
Deep Look: Newsom to Confront Trump’s Economic Policies at Davos 2026
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND — In a bold move on the international stage, California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to attend the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos next week, casting himself as a high-profile counterweight to President Donald Trump. The trip marks an escalation in Newsom’s ongoing critique of Trump’s leadership and appears strategically timed to boost his growing national and international profile as a potential Democratic presidential contender.
Newsom is scheduled to speak Thursday, one day after President Trump addresses what will reportedly be the largest-ever U.S. delegation at the forum. According to Newsom’s team, the governor will use the opportunity to “forcefully confront” Trump’s policies and present California’s economic model as a forward-thinking alternative.
Newsom’s Message: California vs. Trump’s America
In a fiery statement ahead of the trip, Newsom laid out the sharp contrast he intends to draw:
“Trump’s economic agenda betrays our nation: it is not ‘America First’ but ‘Trump First’ — rewarding the favored, punishing the dissenters, and burdening the rest,” he said.
Framing his appearance as a defense of democratic capitalism, Newsom says he plans to expose Trump’s record as an “assault on the free market,” accusing the president of using government power to intimidate businesses, silence critics, and personally benefit from public office.
According to Newsom’s office, he will highlight Trump’s reported efforts to pressure U.S. companies, demand loyalty from CEOs, and have the federal government take stakes in private enterprises, all while under the guise of economic nationalism.
Confronting the Elite: Davos Attendees in the Crosshairs
But Trump won’t be Newsom’s only target. The California governor also plans to take aim at Davos attendees themselves, suggesting that many of the business leaders, law firms, and academic institutions present have become complicit by accommodating or enabling the Trump administration’s controversial policies.
Newsom is expected to say that their “silence is not neutrality — it is complicity.”
This mirrors a confrontational stance he took last month at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where he accused corporate America of kowtowing to Trump. Newsom has gone so far as to mockingly sell $100 red kneepads branded with Trump’s signature on his political website, a jab at those he claims are “lining up to bend the knee.”
His spokesperson added, “He’ll be bringing an extra suitcase of kneepads for anyone lining up to bend the knee to Donald Trump.”
A Broader Message: California as Global Counterweight
Newsom’s trip is not just about criticizing Trump—it’s also about promoting California as an alternative economic and cultural model. In both rhetoric and action, Newsom has positioned the state as a kind of “quasi-nation” that stands for open markets, innovation, education, climate leadership, and diversity.
“At the World Economic Forum, I will resolutely defend the principles to which California owes its economic strength: disciplined governance, world-leading universities, boundless innovation, and an open embrace of global cultures,” he said.
Newsom has used similar international platforms before. At the 2025 UN Climate Talks in Brazil, he cast California as a global climate leader, criticizing Trump-era rollbacks of environmental protections. In his recent State of the State address, he again emphasized the state’s role in counterbalancing Washington’s direction.
“As Trump undermines long-standing alliances, California will remain a beacon of stability and loyalty,” Newsom said. “To remain silent in the face of such wrongdoing is not neutrality — it is complicity.”
Political Implications: 2028 in Sight?
Though Newsom has not officially declared intentions to run for president, his international speaking engagements, high-profile statements, and national donor outreach suggest he is laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential campaign.
By aligning himself in direct opposition to Trump, Newsom is positioning himself as the progressive foil to populist conservatism, while elevating California’s role as a bastion of democratic values and inclusive economic growth.
His Davos appearance may offer global investors and political leaders a preview of what a post-Trump Democratic vision might look like—one that blends progressive ideals with economic pragmatism on the world stage.
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