Newsom Meets World Leaders in New York to Push Climate Action, Criticizes Trump

Newsom argued that state and local governments are stepping up to lead on climate while Trump, in his words, is "trying to recreate the 19th century" by reopening coal plants, pursuing new oil drilling plans including off the California coast, and grounding his energy policy in fossil fuels. "He's doubling down on stupid, and he's putting the American economy at risk," Newsom said in an interview, also calling Trump the most destructive environmental president in American history and "an invasive species."

California Governor Gavin Newsom met with world and business leaders on Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, accusing President Donald Trump of abandoning his responsibilities on climate change.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers responded by using Trump's derogatory nickname for the governor, "Newscum," and dismissed his positions on climate. She said his "doubling down on Biden's unpopular, unreliable and costly Green New Scam is stupid." Rogers added that no one was surprised to see him "whining about the climate change hoax at another conference" instead of addressing what she described as out-of-control crime, the highest homeless population in the United States, and wildfire victims still waiting on state permits to rebuild.

Newsom's ongoing effort to counter Trump on climate

Newsom, a Democrat who is considering a 2028 presidential run, has previously sought to oppose Trump's climate stance. He attended the U.N. climate talks held in Belem, Brazil in 2025 when Trump did not. Last year at the U.N., Trump called climate change the "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" and has worked to hinder renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, even as China and other countries invest heavily in it. China leads the world in adding wind and solar capacity, though it also added substantial coal power last year.

Trump prioritizes fossil fuel energy production, reversing U.S. energy policies beginning on his first day back in office, after the Biden administration had sought to expand clean energy as a climate solution. Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to Washington on Wednesday. As economic and technological competition between the two countries intensifies, Newsom said Xi is "cleaning our clock from an economic perspective." Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence during their meetings this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. has proposed a new "notification mechanism" for AI incidents that could affect national security.

Newsom also critical of Trump on artificial intelligence

Newsom also took issue with Trump for not doing more to establish guardrails around artificial intelligence, saying the administration was instead following advice to let AI "rip." On Wednesday, Newsom announced a panel of experts who will advise on oversight recommendations in California, including work toward a potential "kill switch" for rogue frontier AI models.

Trump was in New York on Tuesday, where he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly defending his actions against Iran rather than focusing on climate, as he had done the previous year. Newsom addressed the U.N. on Wednesday alongside mayors dealing with climate change impacts and calling for collective action. He described how California is using renewable energy to reshape how the state produces and consumes power while cutting carbon pollution.

While in New York, Newsom also signed a new agreement with Spain's prime minister to deepen cooperation on clean energy and climate matters, and announced progress toward linking California's carbon markets with those of Washington state. "California is not going to sit back and watch this guy roll back the last half century. We're going to lead the next great revolution," Newsom said. He added that the effort was aimed at preparing the economy "not just in California, but the rest of the nation, for the fierce competitive fight against China."