WEF 2026: California Governor Barred From US Stand In Davos

California Governor Gavin Newsom was denied access to a United States-hosted event at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, leading to the abrupt cancellation of his scheduled appearance on Wednesday, according to his spokesperson.

Newsom, a Democrat and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, was billed to take part in a one-on-one “fireside chat” with an editor from ‘Fortune magazine’ at USA House on Wednesday evening.

His spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, said the governor’s team was turned away during a security check a few hours before the event.

According to Gardon, officials later informed the delegation that a “venue-level decision” had been taken to exclude elected US officials from the evening’s programme.

Reacting on social media, Newsom criticised the move, questioning the motive behind the decision. “How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” he wrote.

When asked by The New York Times, the White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to confirm whether Newsom had been barred from the venue. She instead dismissed the governor in a statement, using a derogatory nickname often employed by Trump, and questioned his presence in Switzerland.

“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,” she said

The incident followed sharp comments by Newsom earlier in the week, when he likened President Trump to a Tyrannosaurus rex and urged European leaders to push back against the administration.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded by criticising Newsom as “smug,” “self-absorbed” and “economically illiterate,” while also making dismissive remarks about the governor’s planned appearance.

Bessent also suggested that the governor’s appearance may be affected, claiming he had been invited to speak on his signature policies but was ultimately dropped. “I was told he was asked to give a speech on his signature policies, but he’s not speaking because what have his economic policies brought?” Bessent said, before offering a mocking assessment of California’s economic record.

Trump also addressed the governor during his own speech on Wednesday, saying he “used to get along so great” with Newsom. The California governor later described the president’s address on social media as “boring.”

It remains unclear whether the Trump administration directly influenced the decision to deny Newsom access to USA House. While the venue has corporate sponsors, Gardon noted that the U.S. government is listed as an official partner.

Alyson Shontell, editor in chief of ‘Fortune’ and one of the venue’s official media partners, said the publication had no role in the cancellation and declined further comment.

“It was made clear there was pressure from the top,” Gardon said.

He added that Newsom’s scheduled appearance at a different venue on Thursday, as part of the official World Economic Forum programme, remained unchanged.