A scheduled appearance by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland, was canceled last week after his office alleged interference from the Trump administration.
According to Newsom’s team, the U.S. pavilion, USA House—a church acting as the official U.S. delegation—withdrew access for the governor following an invitation from Fortune, the event’s official media partner. The cancellation occurred just hours before a planned “fireside chat” was set to begin.
In a public statement, Newsom’s office said: “Under pressure from the White House and State Department, USA House (a church acting as the official US pavilion) is now denying entry to [California Governor] Gavin Newsom to speak with media after Fortune – the official media partner – invited him to speak.”
The incident has drawn criticism from Newsom, who amplified his complaint on social media with a remark that read: “How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?”
Fortune confirmed Newsom had been invited but stated that USA House made the decision to rescind access. The magazine noted that programming at high-profile international events can be affected by logistical, security, and stakeholder considerations.
The cancellation happened during Newsom’s Davos visit, which he used to criticize President Donald J. Trump and international leaders he views as sympathetic to the administration. Speaking with reporters, Newsom said: “I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over. I should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders. I mean handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away. It’s just pathetic.”
A White House spokesperson dismissed Newsom’s criticism, stating: “No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California.”
