Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a blistering rebuke of California Governor Gavin Newsoms latest overseas performance, deriding the Democrats World Economic Forum appearance as the unraveling of a politician out of his depth.
According to Sean Hannity, Bessent dismissed Newsoms theatrics in Davos, Switzerland, as the behavior of a man buckling under the pressures of national ambition. I think Gavin Newsom may be cracking up, some of these things hes saying. I think he may be in over his hairdo, Bessent told Politicos The Conversation, skewering the governors carefully crafted image.
Newsom, a persistent antagonist of President Donald Trump, used his time at the globalist gathering to lecture European leaders on how to confront the White House. From the safety of an elite forum, he urged foreign officials to grow a backbone with Trump while quipping that he should have brought kneepads for dignitaries dealing with the president.
He went further, resorting to juvenile metaphor in an attempt to paint the president as a menace on the world stage. This is diplomacy with Donald Trump. Hes a T.rex. You mate with him, or he devours you, one or the other, Newsom said Tuesday. The Europeans could be (devoured) if they continue down this path and process. They need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united.
Bessent, however, treated the dinosaur rhetoric as evidence of Newsoms unseriousness rather than statesmanship. He argued that the governors record does not match his swagger, especially as California struggles with crime, homelessness, and economic flight under progressive policies.
Being on the national stage is very different than being governor of California with no signature achievements, but to say strange things, like President Trump is a Tyrannosaurus rex. What the hell does that mean? the Treasury secretary said. I could say, Gavin Newsom is a brontosaurus with a brain the size of a walnut.
The kneepad gag, Bessent suggested, was not merely rhetorical excess but a revealing symbol of Newsoms political posture. Newsom actually brought kneepads to the forum, branding them Trump signature series kneepads during a speech in Davos, turning what should have been a serious diplomatic setting into a late-night comedy routine.
Then came the photo-op that underscored where Newsoms real alliances lie. During his Davos meetings, Newsom was photographed with left-wing billionaire Alex Soros son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
Bessent seized on that image to drive home his point about the governors priorities and audience. If you brought the kneepads, maybe that was for his meeting with Alex Soros. I dont know, he said, leaving little doubt that, in his view, Newsoms global grandstanding plays well with progressive elites but does little for the Americans he aspires to govern.
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