Trump Jokes With Newsom During His World Economic Forum Speech: 'I Would Call Up Trump'

Dmitri Bolt | January 21, 2026 3:45 PM

President Trump joked with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, lamenting their once good relationship and quipping that if he were in Newsom’s shoes, he’d call him for help tackling soaring crime rates.

“I know Gavin was here. I used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president [the first time]. Gavin’s a good guy,” the president said. “We did help them a lot in Los Angeles, a lot…early in my term, when they had some problems. But we would love to do it. I will say this, if I were a Democrat governor, or whatever, I would call up Trump, I’d say, ‘Come on in [and] make us look good,’ because we’re cutting crime down to nothing."

Newsom appeared to laugh following the president's remarks.

NEW: Gavin Newsom appears to chuckle after President Trump says he should let in the federal government to clean up his state.

“Gavin's a good guy… we did help them a lot in Los Angeles, a lot… they had some problems.”

“If I were a Democrat governor or whatever, I would call… pic.twitter.com/GrQptNnfg2
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 21, 2026

Newsom and Trump have been trading shots all week at the World Economic Forum, with Newsom posturing as a 2028 Democratic hopeful while lecturing European leaders not to let the president take Greenland. His bizarre rambling on Tuesday included comparing Trump to a T-Rex, warning Europeans: "You mate with him, or he devours you. One or the other."

🚨 HOLY CRAP! Scott Bessent just PUMMELED Gavin Newsom in Davos

"He's here this week with his billionaire sugar daddy, Alex Soros!" 🔥

"I think it's very, very ironic that Newsom — who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ben — may be the only Californian who knows… pic.twitter.com/rdHEvghP2v
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 21, 2026