Newsom Derides European Leaders’ Response to Trump Greenland Threats as ‘Pathetic’

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, a presumptive 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is lecturing Europeans that it is time for “code red” in dealing with President Trump.“It’s time to buck up. It’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” Mr. Newsom told reporters on Tuesday at Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. “It’s time to stand tall and firm, have a backbone.”“I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders,” Mr. Newsom added. “It’s just pathetic.”The gathering has been upended by Mr. Trump’s renewed push to annex Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark. Leaders from Denmark and Greenland have said they are not interested and a group of European countries have backed Greenland’s territorial sovereignty.In response, Mr. Trump has announced ten percent tariffs on eight European countries which have denounced his efforts.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, also at the event, downplayed the possibility of European retaliation over the new tariffs. He called talk of Europe deploying its so-called “trade bazooka” in response to the new tariffs simply media “hysteria.”“Sit back, relax. I am confident that the leaders will not escalate and that this will work out in a manner that ends up in a very good place for all,” Mr. Bessent said.Mr. Bessent said the new tariffs should not affect previous agreements. “What President Trump is threatening on Greenland is very different than the other trade deals,” Mr. Bessent said. “So I would urge all countries to stick with their trade deals.”President Emmanuel Macron of France, however, told the gathering that the European Union should consider using its anti-coercion mechanism in response to Mr. Trump.“The anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful instrument and we should not hesitate to deploy it in today’s tough environment,” Mr. Macron said in his Davos speech.The so-called “trade bazooka” would see the launch of a series of retaliatory measures against America, including trade and investment restrictions. It would also set up roadblocks for American digital services in the European Union and its financial markets.Mr. Macron warned the rest of Europe that there is a shift to a “world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest.”Member countries have previously declined to resort to using the anti-coercion mechanism out of fears it could escalate a trade war, but Germany has joined France in signaling support for deploying it.Mr. Trump is set to address the event on Wednesday. He posted a private message on his Truth Social Account early Tuesday that Mr. Macron had sent him. The message stated, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things.” It went on to suggest a G7 meeting in Paris and a dinner on Thursday before Mr. Trump returns to Washington from the Davos conference.“They’ve been played. This guy is playing folks for fools and it’s embarrassing,” Mr. Newsom said of Mr. Trump’s approach to European leaders. “He’s a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you.”

Newsom Derides European Leaders’ Response to Trump Greenland Threats as ‘Pathetic’

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