Treasury Secretary Criticizes California’s Governor
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday. He called Newsom “economically illiterate” and accused him of putting elite gatherings ahead of the state’s mounting budget, housing, and homelessness crises.
Bessent highlighted California’s outward migration, budget shortfalls, and homelessness, saying, “He’s here hobnobbing with the global elite while his citizens are still homeless. Shame on him. He’s too smug, too self-absorbed, and too economically illiterate to know anything.”
Pop Culture Dig at Newsom
Responding to Newsom’s prior jabs at him, Bessent compared the governor to “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken,” referencing the serial killer from American Psycho and the flamboyant Barbie doll. He added that Newsom “may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris” and criticized the governor for lavish spending while others faced lockdowns.
Bessent also said the administration would target what he described as “waste, fraud, and abuse” in California.
Newsom Fires Back
Meanwhile, Newsom pushed back at the White House, criticizing President Trump’s remarks about Greenland. On X, he wrote, “America’s allies and business leaders need to understand this: There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump. Get off your knees and grow a spine.”
At Davos, Newsom told reporters Trump is a “T. rex. You mate with him or he devours you. One or the other.” He added, “It’s time to stand tall and firm. Have a backbone. I can’t take this complicity — people rolling over. From an American perspective, it’s embarrassing.”
