'You learned nothing' from Trump's speech at Davos, says California governor Newsom

Trump’s Davos speech drew sharp reactions, with California’s Gavin Newsom criticizing it as uninformative, while some U.S. and European leaders praised or commented on its tone.

Vitalii Yalahuzian, Cecile Mantovani, Liliana Ciobanu/Reuters

January 22, 2026

'You learned nothing' from Trump's speech at Davos, says California governor Newsom

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to the media as he attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026.

Denis Balibouse/Reuters

"You learned nothing" from US president Donald Trump's speech at Davos, California governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday (January 21).

Speaking to media during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Newsom, who is a member of the Democratic Party, added the speech suggested that "leadership seems to be a little bit more willing to say publicly what we all know they’re saying privately."

But Republican senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham said he was "very happy" with the speech, which lasted more than an hour. "Force is off the table", he said, referring to Greenland.

When asked about the speech, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Ebba Busch, pointed out that there have been "a lot of emotions from the male leaders on both sides of the pond for the last few years," despite female politicians usually being the ones told they "are too emotional to be the utmost leaders", she said.

Trump, who marked the end of a turbulent first year in office on Tuesday (January 20), is set to overshadow the agenda of the WEF, where global elites chew over economic and political trends.

-Vitalii Yalahuzian, Cecile Mantovani, Liliana Ciobanu/Reuters