At COP30, California Governor Newsom blasts Trump for 'dumb' US climate policy
California Governor Gavin Newsom told an audience at the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil that California would continue to prioritize the use of green technology while criticizing U.S. president Donald Trump's decision to reverse federal government policy on climate change.
He lamented, at a meeting with Germany's Vice Minister for Climate and other state officials, that the Trump administration was censuring the clean energy market to China.
Newsom, in his first of many scheduled appearances in Brazil's Amazonian city of Belem at the U.N. Climate Summit, said that China is flooding the zone.
California, however, is not as stupid as the United States of America. "We are going assert ourselves, lean in and compete in this area," he said. Newsom, a strident Trump opponent, has been hinting at a presidential run in 2028 for months.
The crowd pressed against the plexiglass to hear him speak at a panel Tuesday midday. Newsom, dressed casually in white shirt and a business suit in the tropical heat, made it a point to portray climate change as nonpartisan. He listed climate action taken by two Republican Presidents of California, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon.
California, though only one of the 50 U.S. States, has the fourth largest economy in terms of global GDP. This makes it an important player when it comes to influencing energy and market policy.
Newsom, flanked by U.N. guards, was meeting with officials from some 195 countries participating in the summit.
He stated that California's partnership with the United States on this issue is secure.
We can't accomplish this without you all. We're not here with a closed hand.
Newsom addressed investors in Sao Paulo's financial hub, Brazil, on Monday. He told them that the U.S. lacks leadership in climate change.
Newsom has praised California's embracement of green technology, noting that the state boasts seven times as many renewable energy jobs as fossil fuel jobs. He also reminded people that electric car giant Tesla was founded here. Trump, on the other hand, falsely dismissed climate change as "a hoax" while aggressively seeking to increase global use of polluting fuels. Washington has snubbed the COP30 summit this year. Some diplomats were concerned that Trump's Republican Administration might attempt to disrupt the summit remotely. Newsom, a Democrat from California, announced last month that he was considering a run for the presidency in 2028. He's started to mimic Trump's bold style of social media messaging. California voters supported his proposal last week to redistrict the state's voting district to offset redistricting elsewhere aimed at increasing the number of seats held by Republicans. Newsom said on Tuesday that Trump's term would end in January 2029. This is despite Trump's occasional hints that he might seek a third-term.
He's the least popular president in U.S. History. Newsom said that he was trying to manipulate the election.
Trump is only temporary. He's reckless. He's chaotic," Newsom added. "People must stand up. "You need to stand against a bully."
(source: Reuters)
