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Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Blast Newsom's Presidential Tour in Munich

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  February 16, 2026 2:00 PM

California Republican gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom for traveling to the Munich Security Conference while failing to properly govern the Golden State. The trip comes just weeks after his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, as Newsom continues to set the stage for an inevitable presidential run in 2028.

“There’s something seriously wrong with Gavin Newsom,” Hilton, the former Fox News host, said. “Just weeks after humiliating himself at Davos, he flies back to Europe so he can lecture everyone about climate change while attacking our president and undermining America’s reputation. And for what? To pander to a bunch of foreign leaders and left-wing activists back home who can’t get enough of Newsom’s anti-Trump preening.”

Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, accused Newsom of fleeing the state’s mounting problems, arguing that the governor is more focused on positioning himself for a presidential run and amplifying his perceived opposition to President Trump than on governing California.

“We know that’s what he’s doing, but honestly, for us here in California, we’re probably better off with him gone,” Bianco said. “He can go to another country, and that means we are saved from him for the moment.”

This comes as Newsom blasted President Trump in Munich for rolling back climate and clean‑energy policies, including plans to eliminate federal subsidies for electric vehicles, which can save drivers as much as $2,200 a year in fuel costs.

“Donald Trump is doubling down on stupid,” Newsom said. ”Never in the history of the United States of America has there been a more destructive president than the current occupant of the White House in Washington, DC. He’s trying to recreate the 19th century. He’s a wholly owned subsidiary of big oil, gas, and coal."

Newsom used the forum to portray California as a steady and reliable partner on climate regulation and environmental initiatives, telling attendees that President Trump represents only a temporary speed bump in the United States’ broader commitment to combating climate change.