Gavin Newsom Banned From Davos, Gains Free Global Attention
What’s the absolute best way to give Gov.Gavin Newsom free publicity and a worldwide audience?
Freeze him out at Davos, where the rich and powerful are meeting in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland.The Trump management is learning the hard way, in real time, that pettiness comes with a price — in this case, being laughed at by, well, the world.
And while Congress, Europe, and law may hold no terrors for our president, we all know ridicule hits him where it hurts.
In case you missed it, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the California governor has been banned from a scheduled media talk (allegedly under pressure from the White House) that was going to be a rebuttal to Trump’s remarks at the event, according to Newsom’s office.
On Wednesday, Newsom’s team announced that he had been turned away from USA House, the privately run but official gathering spot of the United States. Newsom was scheduled to do a fireside chat with Fortune magazine, but apparently when he arrived at the church-turned-conference hall, he was politely told to leave.
“How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” Newsom posted on X.
Cue the outrage. Cue the coverage.
Fortune didn’t know the snub was coming, according to screenshots of private text messages reviewed by The Times, but within minutes it was world news. Except maybe on CBS.
That’s a lot of focus on a guy who isn’t even a billionaire and doesn’t run a country, and supposedly isn’t even in the presidential race yet. In case you’re not personally familiar with the gathering at Davos, it’s pretty much the kings (and occasional queen) of the world coming together to think big thoughts.Getting cold-shouldered in that crowd is a big deal.
But it’s the kind of big deal that makes Newsom look good. Blackballing him from USA House was akin to screaming in his face that he’s a big meanie and the president wasn’t going to take it any more. So there!
It’s funny. It’s powerful.