Gavin Newsom calls Trump a 'T-Rex', urges Europe to 'stand united'

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a sharp rebuke t President Donald Trump and European leaders on Tuesday, January 20, during remarks in Davos ahead of the World Economic Forum.

Speaking to reporters in Davos one day before Trump’s scheduled arrival for a “special address,” the Democratic governor accused the president of destabilizing global norms and criticized European governments for what he described as ineffective responses.

Newsom framed Trump as a disruptive force on the world stage and urged international leaders to reassess how they engage with Washington under the current administration. His comments came amid mounting transatlantic tension over trade, defense, and US foreign policy.

Gavin Newsom says Europeans 'played' for fools

Newsom argued that European leaders had mishandled their approach to Trump. “The Europeans should decide for themselves what to do, but one thing they can’t do is what they’ve been doing,” Newsom said.

He suggested that current diplomatic strategies have yielded little. “They’ve been played. He’s been playing folks for fools and it’s embarrassing,” Newsom told reporters, signaling frustration with what he viewed as repeated concessions without leverage.

Gavin Newsom refers to Trump as a T-Rex

When a reporter suggested that European officials saw their approach as pragmatic diplomacy, Newsom rejected the premise. He compared dealing with Trump to a survival scenario.

“This is diplomacy with Donald Trump? He’s a T-Rex. You mate with him, or he devours you. One or the other,” Newsom said. He added that Europe should respond collectively, stating that its leaders “need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united.”

California governor calls Trump a 'wrecking ball'

Newsom criticized foreign governments for adhering to what he described as outdated assumptions about how global politics functioned under Trump. “This guy is a wrecking ball,” he said, arguing that the president does not operate within conventional frameworks.

“You guys are still playing by an old set of rules… He’s unmoored. It’s the law of the jungle. It’s the rule of Don,” Newsom said. He added that Trump’s actions were deliberate, calling him “very intentional.”

Gavin Newsom states that 'sucking up' is not diplomacy

Pressed on what he believed Trump ultimately seeks, Newsom said world leaders should align their public posture with their private assessments. “Why don’t folks do publicly what they say privately?” he asked. “Everybody is talking behind his back. They’re laughing at him. Meanwhile, they’re sucking up to him.”

Newsom said that dynamic reflected miscalculation rather than strategy.