Daijiworld Media Network - California

California, Jan 22: California governor Gavin Newsom was prevented from speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, after being denied access to the US pavilion, his office announced. The move, his team said, came under pressure from the Trump administration.

“Under pressure from the White House and State Department, USA House—the official US pavilion—has denied governor Gavin Newsom entry to speak with the media, despite an invitation from Fortune, the event’s official media partner,” Newsom’s press office stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

Expressing his frustration, Newsom highlighted the irony of the decision, tweeting that “California was just denied at the USA House. Last we checked, California is part of USA.” According to his staff, the decision stemmed from a “venue-level decision” to exclude elected US officials from programming, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The governor had intended to respond to remarks made earlier by US President Donald Trump at Davos, in which Trump discussed acquiring Greenland, emphasizing he would pursue it without using force. Newsom had also criticised European leaders for what he described as their “complicity” in not resisting Trump’s Greenland proposal.

“It’s time to buck up, it’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” Newsom said during his visit to the forum. “It’s time to stand tall and firm, have a backbone,” he added, calling for stronger international resolve against unilateral demands.

The incident highlights growing tensions between state-level leadership and the federal administration, particularly on the international stage.