BELEM, Brazil — California Governor Gavin Newsom assured an audience at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil that his state would continue to prioritize green technology, while blasting President Donald Trump’s “dumb” decision to reverse the U.S. government’s course on climate action.
Newsom, widely considered a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, also sounded alarm bells at the Republican Trump’s policies, calling them threats to rule of law and democracy.
Making several appearances at the annual climate summit on Tuesday in the Amazonian city of Belem, Newsom took every opportunity to slam Trump’s attacks on the fast-growing clean energy economy. He said Republicans were ceding the fast-growth market to China, which “will dominate in the next great global industry.”
“The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not. And so we are going to assert ourselves, we’re going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space.”
A strident political foe of Trump, Newsom has for months been teasing a run for the White House in 2028.
Escorted by U.N. police around the sprawling venue, Newsom was swarmed by conference attendees and cheered for representing the U.S. at COP. He declined to answer questions about a possible run for president, saying he was more concerned about the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections.
“I don’t worry about 2028. I worry about fair and free elections. I’m more worried about 2026 and taking back the House of Representatives and getting the speakership,” he told reporters on the sidelines of COP30.
He said he was alarmed that eight of his fellow Democrats in the U.S. Senate “rolled over” to vote to support an end to the U.S. government shutdown. But he did not say whether he supported calls by some Democrats to replace Senator Chuck Schumer as the party’s Senate leader.
California is just one of 50 U.S. states, but its economy is the world’s fourth-largest, making it a key player in influencing markets and energy policy.
Dressed casually in a white business shirt in the sweltering tropical heat, Newsom made a point of listing climate actions made by two Republican presidents from California, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.
While Democrats have long made climate change a central part of their policy priorities, Newsom said the messaging needs to change so average citizens can connect with the issue on factors such as economics and cost, making them less vulnerable to climate skeptics like Trump.
“Climate change seems abstract. We need to talk in terms that people understand,” Newsom said.
Trump has falsely dismissed the issue of climate change as a “hoax” and battled to increase global use of polluting fossil fuels. Washington has conspicuously snubbed the COP30 summit.
California, in contrast, has among the world’s most ambitious climate change policies, including a goal to decarbonize its economy by 2045 and ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
Newsom said California’s partnership on the issue was secure.
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“But we can’t do that without all of you ... So we’re here with an open hand, not a closed fist.”
On Monday, Newsom spoke with investors at a conference in the Brazilian financial hub of Sao Paulo, telling them the vacuum in U.S. climate leadership was “jaw-dropping.”
Newsom has touted California’s embrace of green tech, highlighting that the state has seven times more renewable energy jobs than fossil fuel jobs and reminding people that electric vehicle giant Tesla was founded in California.
He blasted an expected Trump administration order to open up drilling in federal waters off the coast of California, calling it “dead on arrival.”
Some diplomats worried that Trump’s administration might try to disrupt the summit from afar.
Last month, Newsom said he was mulling a presidential run in 2028. He has started to parrot Trump’s brash style of messaging on social media.
Last week, California voters backed his proposal to redraw the state’s voting districts to offset redistricting in other states aimed at increasing the number of congressional seats held by Republicans.
On Tuesday, Newsom noted that Trump’s tenure was set to end in January 2029, even as Trump occasionally teases that he wants to seek a third term.
“He’s the most unpopular president in U.S. history. That’s why he’s trying to rig the election,” Newsom told reporters.
“Trump is temporary. He’s reckless. He’s chaotic,” Newsom added. “People need to stand up. You need to stand up to a bully.”
