California Gov. Gavin Newsom should “stop undermining the US on the world stage” and fix his own “broken” state, the White House told The Post in an exclusive statement Tuesday.
The fiery comment came after Newsom took a stab at the president at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, comparing him to a “T-Rex.”
“Gavin Newsom should stop undermining the United States on the world stage and start fixing his own broken state back home,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai told The Post.
The two leaders were veering toward a head-to-head confrontation at the economic conference in the Swiss Alps, with Trump set to speak there on Wednesday and Newsom the following day.
Newsom, who has positioned himself as a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, has been a thorn in Trump’s side, using his platform at Davos to troll the commander-in-chief.
“Diplomacy with Donald Trump? He’s a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you,” Newsom told reporters mobbing him at the conference.
Earlier Tuesday, President Donald Trump also took aim at Newsom’s leadership of California, saying, “I hate the way it’s being run,” during a press conference marking one year since he took office for his second term.
The remarks came after a reporter asked Trump about Newsom’s trip to Davos and whether it was meant to boost his profile ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.
“I don’t know that he’s going to be the nominee,” Trump said, before reflecting on his past working relationship with the term-limited Democrat.
“He and I had a very good relationship — really close to the word exceptional — but now we seem not to,” Trump said.
The president said that the two once worked closely, but that their relationship later deteriorated.
“I had a very good relationship with Gavin Newsom when we were in office together,” Trump said. “Somewhere we just went astray. I just hate the way California is being run.”
Newsom — already in the Swiss Alps — held court with reporters, bashing Trump over his push to buy Greenland from Denmark and his threats to stick tariffs on European countries who oppose it.
“It’s time to buck up, it’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” he said.
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“It’s time to stand tall and firm and have a backbone. I can’t take this complicity. People rolling over. I should’ve brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders,” the prominent Democrat told reporters.
“I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. I mean, at least from an American perspective, it’s embarrassing,” he said.
Newsom argued that European leaders need to stop trying to work with the Republican president and start standing up to him.
“I mean, handing out crowns, handing out Nobel Prizes — it’s just pathetic,” Newsom said. “I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. From an American perspective, it’s embarrassing.”
He also accused world leaders of being too timid in their dealings with Trump, saying they were sending mixed signals in public and private.
“Wake up! Where the hell has everybody been? Stop with this … diplomacy of sort of niceties and somehow we’re all going to figure it out, saying one thing privately and another publicly. Have some spine.”
Newsom posted a clip of his comments on X, writing: “There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump.”
“Get off your knees and grow a spine.”
Newsom will speak at Davos on Thursday, the day after Trump, and also has meetings set up with foreign leaders and business executives, Politico reported this week.
The back-and-forth came as the White House on Tuesday also took a swipe at Newsom, accusing him of trying to take advantage of a House Republican’s death to hobble Trump’s legislative agenda.
Newsom last week scheduled a special election more than six months away to replace the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who died unexpectedly on Jan. 6, leaving the GOP with a 218-213 House majority.
“Gavin Newsom is waiting until the last day, statutorily, that he can call that election,” said James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, referring to Newsom’s choice of Aug. 4.
“The reality we have right now is this very narrow majority on both sides,” Blair told The Post. “You see Gavin Newsom, who’s going to keep the seat open in California as long as humanly possible — really shameful thing he’s doing when a rep died there.”
House Republicans only have a five-seat majority following LaMalfa’s unexpected death and the resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — meaning that just three defections could doom legislation.
The Northern California district, which LaMalfa won with more than 65% of the vote in 2024, is heavily Republican.
Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday will mark his third visit to Davos.
The event has drawn nearly 3,000 attendees from the worlds of business, advocacy, and policy to tackle issues such as the growing gap between rich and poor, AI’s impact on jobs, geo-economic conflict and tariffs.
