President Donald Trump on Monday mocked Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) as he criticized the United Kingdom for brokering a clean energy deal with California.
“The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump told Politico, using his nickname for the governor. “Gavin is a loser. Everything he’s touched turns to garbage. His state has gone to hell, and his environmental work is a disaster.”
Trump went on to scrutinize the deal itself, describing it as “inappropriate” for Newsom to enter such agreements and “inappropriate for [the U.K.] to be dealing with him.” California has the world’s fourth- or fifth-largest economy, depending on the year.
Newsom, who is speculated to have presidential aspirations of his own, is in London after appearing at the Munich Security Conference alongside other potential 2028 Democratic candidates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
As part of his trip across the English Channel, Newsom and British Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen California and the U.K.’s cooperation regarding climate change mitigation, including investments in offshore wind projects that are much maligned by Trump.
Newsom also met with British clean technology firm Octopus Energy and welcomed the company’s almost $1 billion investment in California as part of the MOU, which simultaneously increases Californian market access for British companies and cross-Atlantic collaboration between research institutions.
“California is the best place in America to invest in a clean economy because we set clear goals and we deliver,” Newsom said during the signing ceremony. “California will continue showing the world how we can turn innovation and ambition into climate action.”
Newsom, during his appearance at the Munich Security Conference last week, sought to placate British and European allies concerning Trump by calling the president’s political and policy repercussions “temporary.”
“I believe Europe feels more united today than it has in some time,” Newsom said during a panel. “And perhaps maybe that is the one contribution of Donald Trump.”
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In response, Trump told Politico on Monday that “people are leaving” California because of Newsom and other Democrats.
“The worst thing that the U.K. can do is get involved in Gavin,” he said. “If they did to the U.K. what he did to California, this will not be a very successful venture.”