Davos [Switzerland]: California Governor Gavin Newsom criticised US President Donald Trump and urged European leaders to remain united, ahead of Trump’s address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Addressing the media in Davos, Newsom referred to Trump’s approach towards Europe and told Europeans “they’ve been played” by Trump. He said Europeans “need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united!”
Calling Trump’s approach unacceptable, Newsom said, “This is not diplomacy, it’s stupidity!”
Trump is scheduled to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.
Newsom’s remarks come as Trump, in recent days, has drawn sharp attention in Europe over his comments and moves linked to Greenland, which he has described as central to US security interests.
US President Donald Trump on Monday described his phone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte as a “very good” call, with Greenland again featuring prominently in the discussion.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the conversation resulted in an agreement to hold a meeting with “the various parties” on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,” Trump wrote. “As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security. There can be no going back — On that, everyone agrees!”
Shortly after, Trump shared an AI-generated image showing him planting a US flag in the ground alongside US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The image also shows a board reading “GREENLAND – US TERRITORY EST. 2026”.
The post came days after Trump threatened sweeping new tariffs on European allies opposing his Greenland plan, warning that several countries could face a 10 per cent duty on all exports to the United States from February 1.
Reacting strongly to the threat, German and French leaders criticised the move as “blackmail,” with Paris insisting Europe must be ready to respond. Markets also reacted, with stocks sliding across Europe as investors moved towards precious metals.
Amid the growing tensions, the European Union said it would hold an emergency summit on Thursday (January 22), stressing that its preference was to “engage not escalate”, while warning it was prepared to act.
When asked what he would say to European leaders opposing his plans to buy Greenland, Trump said: “I don’t think they’re going to push back too much. We have to have it. They have to have this done”. (ANI)
