Trump unexpectedly praises one of his most vocal critics: ‘A good guy’
President Donald Trump offered unexpected praise for one of his biggest critics while addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
During his speech, in which he bizarrely seemed to imply he was no longer president, Trump departed from discussing the U.S. economy and his interest in Greenland to address California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
"I know Gavin was here. I used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president. Gavin's a good guy," Trump said.
He expressed a willingness to help the governor "in a heartbeat" to reduce crime, suggesting he would invite federal aid to "make us look good" if he were a Democratic governor.
Trump also referenced his cooperation with Newsom during the Palisades Fire recovery in January 2025.
Following the presentation, Newsom dismissed the remarks as "remarkably boring" and "remarkably insignificant" in an interview with CNN .
Newsom criticized Trump's push for Greenland as "never real."
During the forum, the governor also characterized Trump's diplomacy as that of a "T-Rex," telling reporters, "You meet with him or he devours you, one or the other." Newsom added a provocative note suggesting world leaders were "pathetic" and "rolling over" for the president, stating he "should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also targeted the governor at the forum, mocking his economic knowledge and describing him as "Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken," according to The Hill .
Other Trump allies, including Katie Miller and Fox News host Sean Hannity, criticized Newsom online for attending the international summit while his state faces ongoing crises.
Despite his initial compliments, Trump reverted to a combative tone during a White House briefing later that afternoon. He called California a "disaster state" and claimed Newsom is "killing that state."
Recent data from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that while overall crime in the state has fallen in recent years, state records show the second-lowest homicide rate since 1966, though shoplifting rates have continued to climb.
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