California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was canceled at the last minute on Wednesday, prompting sharp accusations of political pressure over the move.
The Democratic governor was slated to speak at USA House, which hosted several events with top White House officials, after President Donald Trump’s address to business leaders at the annual forum. An official from USA House contacted Newsom’s office to inform his team that an “elected official” speaking at the pavilion no longer aligned “with their afternoon programming,” according to a person familiar with Newsom’s engagement.
The governor’s press office took to social media to accuse the White House and the State Department of blocking Newsom from speaking with reporters. The event was originally organized by Fortune magazine, an official media partner of USA House. The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” Newsom wrote on X.
In response to a request for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly did not directly address Newsom’s accusations. “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,” Kelly said in a statement.
This week, Newsom called on European leaders to stand up to Trump’s pressure campaign aimed at acquiring Greenland, a territory that remains a part of the kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally. California is notably home to the world’s fifth-largest economy, with a gross domestic product of more than $4 trillion in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Newsom is seen as a likely future U.S. presidential candidate and has openly said he’s considering a run in 2028. An acerbic Trump foil, Newsom waged an aggressive congressional redistricting campaign that reversed GOP gains in other states, and he has shared social media posts mocking the president and his allies that have gone viral.
Newsom was originally invited on Jan. 13 by Fortune to speak, meaning his Wednesday appearance was in the works for more than a week. A spokesperson for Fortune told MS NOW that Newsom “had been invited to participate in a Fortune conversation at USA House in Davos. Subsequently, USA House determined it would not be able to accommodate the Governor’s participation and communicated that decision to Fortune.”
The governor’s office said Newsom was offered an invitation to a “nightcap reception” as a substitute for his canceled event.
According to its website, USA House “does not represent the U.S. government and does not organize official government programming.” The entity is operated by Stromback Global, which is led by investor Richard Stromback.
At least one other U.S. government official, however, has spoken at USA House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a news conference earlier Wednesday at USA House, referring to Newsom as “economically illiterate,” among other insults. Bessent said that he was told Newsom “was asked to give a speech on his signature policies, but he’s not speaking, because what have his economic policies brought?”
The USA House website also lists several other members of Trump’s cabinet as speakers, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz, Office of Science and Technology policy director Michael Kratsios, along with artificial intelligence and crypto czar David Sacks.
Akayla Gardner is a White House correspondent for MS NOW.