California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) criticized President Trump at COP30 on Tuesday for being absent from the UN summit in Belém, Brazil, and called his rejection of climate policy an “abomination.”
Newsom, who’s expected to run for president in 2028, said during a ministerial meeting that he’s “very mindful that the Trump administration has abandoned any sense of duty, responsibility or leadership as it relates to the issues that bring us all here together” at COP30.
Trump has called climate change the “greatest job ever perpetrated,” and Newsom is the most senior U.S. citizen. politician at COP30, with the president and other senior administration officials absent from the key climate conference.
Newsom said he’s attending the summit because he doesn’t want the U.S. “to be a footnote at this conference, and I want you to know that we recognize our responsibility.”
The California Democrat on the sidelines of the summit called Trump “an invasive species” and “a wrecking-ball president,” adding: “He’s trying to roll back progress of the last century. He’s trying to recreate the 19th century. He’s doubling down on stupid.”
However, he said “Trump is temporary” but “California’s commitment is strong, and we’re in this for the long haul.”
Newsom said the Trump administration’s move away from climate initiatives meant the U.S. risked losing out to “our biggest competitor,” China.
“This is not about electric power,” Newsom said. “This is about economic power. And we in the state of California are not going to give in that race to China.”
