Gavin Newsom claims Trump administration blocked his Davos speaking engagement: 'Weak and pathetic'

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: California Gov Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday, January 21, that he was denied entry to a Davos event where he had been invited to speak, blaming pressure from the Trump administration for the last-minute reversal.

In a post on X, Newsom’s office said that USA House, a privately run venue serving as the de facto US pavilion at the World Economic Forum, barred the governor from entering after he had already accepted an invitation from Fortune, the official media partner, to participate in a fireside chat.

Newsom amplified the claim, writing: “How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” 

USA House cites programming concerns

According to Newsom’s office, the invitation was extended last week and accepted two days ago. Around 3 pm local time on Wednesday, a USA House official informed the governor’s staff that the event was being canceled and that Newsom would not be permitted to speak to the media at the venue.

The official reportedly said that an elected official speaking did not “align with their afternoon programming,” despite several senior Trump administration officials appearing there earlier in the day.

Newsom was instead offered the chance to attend a late-night reception, his office said.

White House questions Gavin Newsom's Switzerland trip

White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly responded with a personal attack on the governor, calling him a “third-rate governor” and questioning why he was in Switzerland rather than addressing issues in California. She did not directly deny Newsom’s account.

The State Department and the World Economic Forum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The clash came hours after President Donald Trump mentioned Newsom during his Davos speech, suggesting his administration could intervene in California over crime, adding a political edge to an already tense dispute.

Newsom also commented on Trump’s speech and said that it did not contain new information for an American audience and downplayed the significance of the president’s comments on Greenland.

“I don’t think the military force was ever real in the first place,” Newsom told CNN after being seen in the room during Trump’s address.