Trump Criticizes Newsom’s UK Climate Agreement Amid 2028 Presidential Speculation

President Trump condemned California Governor Gavin Newsom’s international diplomatic efforts on Monday, calling the governor’s clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom “inappropriate” during Newsom’s recent European tour.

“The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump told Politico, adding that it was “inappropriate for them to be dealing with him.”

The president’s comments came in response to Newsom’s high-profile appearance at the Munich Security Conference, where the California governor signed cooperation agreements with both Ukraine and the United Kingdom. During the conference, Newsom positioned himself as a counterpoint to the Trump administration’s foreign policy approach, escalating tensions between the two political figures.

Newsom used his platform at the global security summit to present California as a “stable and reliable” alternative to the federal government, telling the international audience that the current administration is merely “temporary” and will be “gone in three years.” This rhetoric, along with Newsom’s increasingly visible role on the world stage, has intensified speculation about potential presidential ambitions in 2028.

The governor’s office responded forcefully to Trump’s criticism. “Donald Trump is on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Governor Newsom will continue to lead in his absence. Foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision for the future.”

Newsom’s comments at the conference were particularly pointed. He criticized world leaders for what he characterized as appeasing the president, claiming that foreign leaders “rolling over” for the White House make themselves “look pathetic on the world stage.” He specifically referenced recent controversies over Arctic sovereignty and NATO funding in his critique.

“I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over,” Newsom said during a sideline appearance. “I mean, handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away… it’s just pathetic.” The California governor had first debuted similar criticisms at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, when he remarked that he “should have brought a bunch of knee pads” for world leaders who he believes have bowed to Trump’s “transactional” diplomacy.

The memorandum of understanding with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to facilitate nearly a billion dollars in new clean energy investment, according to the governor’s office. Separately, Newsom signed an agreement with Ukraine’s Lviv region that aims to involve California companies in “rebuilding and resiliency” efforts, particularly in defense, energy, and digital technologies.

While governors from both parties routinely lead overseas economic missions, and the State Department has historically encouraged such “subnational diplomacy,” Newsom’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference – typically reserved for national leaders and diplomats – represents an unusual elevation of a governor’s international profile.

These agreements typically take the form of nonbinding memoranda of understanding rather than formal treaties, which remain the exclusive domain of the federal government. However, Newsom’s direct criticism of Trump’s policies while engaging in diplomatic efforts abroad highlights the increasing spillover of domestic political rivalries onto the international stage.

The episode challenges the longstanding principle that American foreign policy should present a unified voice abroad. By offering an alternative vision of American leadership to foreign heads of state while signing his own agreements, Newsom has inserted himself into sensitive international discussions at a time when Washington is navigating complex disputes over NATO funding, Arctic sovereignty, and continued support for Ukraine.