President Donald Trump had some blunt words for California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the Democrat went globe-trotting and signed a clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom. Trump told British leaders they had enough problems without teaming up with Newsom, calling the whole move “inappropriate.” And honestly, when a state governor starts playing foreign minister, you can see why eyebrows go up.
Trump’s remarks followed Newsom’s high-profile appearance at the Munich Security Conference, where the governor signed cooperation agreements with Ukraine and the U.K. while taking shots at the president’s foreign policy. Naturally, this fueled speculation about Newsom’s 2028 ambitions—because nothing says “future candidate” like lecturing world leaders while running a single state.
Newsom even told an international audience that the current administration is “temporary” and will be “gone in three years,” positioning California as some sort of global backup government. A spokesperson fired back at Trump through Fox News Digital, accusing the president of favoring coal and Big Oil and claiming foreign leaders are “choosing California’s vision for the future.” That’s a bold claim for someone who isn’t actually in charge of U.S. diplomacy.
The governor didn’t stop there. Speaking to European officials, Newsom mocked world leaders who work with Trump, saying they “look pathetic on the world stage.” He doubled down on a joke he first made at the World Economic Forum, saying he should have brought “knee pads” for leaders he believes have bowed to Trump’s so-called “transactional” diplomacy. He even criticized allies over Arctic sovereignty and NATO funding issues, accusing them of “complicity.” Quite a lot of international judgment for a man who still has traffic and housing crises back home.
On the policy side, Newsom’s trip included a clean energy memorandum with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, which his office claims could bring nearly a billion dollars in new investment. He also signed a pact with Ukraine’s Lviv region, saying California companies would help with rebuilding in defense, energy, and digital technologies.
While “subnational diplomacy” isn’t new and governors often travel overseas, Newsom’s presence at a major global security summit—and his public attacks on Trump—show how political rivalries are spilling onto the world stage. Trump’s warning was simple: foreign governments should deal with the United States, not auditioning politicians from Sacramento.
And in the end, that’s a message most Americans understand just fine: strong leadership comes from the White House, not from a governor’s overseas photo op. Secure borders, clear diplomacy, and putting America first still matter—and that’s a future worth staying positive about.
