There's no diplomacy with Trump. Get off your knees and grow a spine.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, California Governor Gavin Newsom stepped onto the world stage not as a head of state but as a dissenting voice within his own nation's political order, urging allied governments to abandon deference and meet confrontation with resolve. His central argument — that conventional diplomacy dissolves in the presence of a leader who operates through intimidation rather than negotiation — reflects a deeper tension in democratic societies about how institutions respond when the rules of engagement are abandoned by those in power. The gathering in Switzerland became, for a moment, a mirror held up to the transatlantic alliance, revealing fractures not only between nations but within the very idea of what diplomacy is for.
- Newsom arrived at Davos not to negotiate but to warn: the old playbook of quiet diplomacy is useless against a president who treats international relations as a contest of dominance.
- His mockery of European leaders — joking he'd brought knee pads for their willingness to bend — exposed a raw anxiety about whether Western alliances can hold when one partner abandons shared norms.
- Trump's parallel presence at Davos, framed by Newsom as a victory lap over economic disruption, sharpened the confrontation into a live, public clash of competing visions for global order.
- Macron and von der Leyen are pushing back on their own terms — invoking sovereignty, prior agreements, and the language of partnership — but whether resistance hardens into strategy remains unresolved.
- The forum closed with transatlantic relations visibly strained, the question of appeasement versus confrontation unanswered, and Newsom's blunt call to 'grow a spine' still echoing in the halls.
Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos this week carrying an unusual message for an American politician: a warning to allied nations that their instinct toward accommodation is a strategic mistake. Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Swiss gathering, the California Democrat argued that President Trump does not respond to traditional diplomacy — he exploits it. The only effective answer, Newsom insisted, is resistance.
His criticism of European leaders was pointed and deliberately provocative. He accused them of 'rolling over' before Trump's tariff threats, mocked their deference with a joke about bringing knee pads to the forum, and called their posture 'pathetic.' He framed California as an alternative model — a counterweight to what he called Trump's 'world disorder' — and positioned his own presence at Davos as a rebuke to the president's approach to power.
Newsom's diagnosis of Trump was stark: a leader who operates through intimidation and 'the law of the jungle,' for whom quiet, behind-the-scenes negotiation is not a constraint but an invitation. On social media, he distilled the argument to its sharpest edge — 'There's no diplomacy with Donald Trump. Get off your knees and grow a spine' — and criticized the president's Davos visit as self-promotion at the expense of American economic stability.
He was not alone in his resistance. French President Macron condemned what he called Trump's bullying, warning that yielding to tariff demands risked Europe's 'vassalization.' European Commission President von der Leyen invoked a trade agreement reached the previous July, insisting that a handshake between allies must mean something. Both leaders signaled that European sovereignty was not negotiable.
What Davos revealed was a transatlantic alliance under visible strain — not merely over tariffs, but over the fundamental question of how democracies respond when a powerful partner abandons the conventions that hold alliances together. Whether European governments would harden into the resistance Newsom called for, or continue seeking negotiated ground, remained unresolved as the forum drew to a close.
Governor Gavin Newsom arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week with a message for the assembled world leaders: stop capitulating. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering in Switzerland, the California Democrat delivered a blunt assessment of how the international community should respond to President Donald Trump's approach to power. Traditional diplomacy, he argued, simply does not work with this president. The only viable strategy is resistance.
Newsom's criticism centered on what he saw as weakness masquerading as restraint. European leaders, he said, were "rolling over" in the face of Trump's tariff threats and aggressive posturing. He mocked them for their deference, joking that he had brought "a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders" to Davos—a cutting reference to their willingness to bend. He called their approach "pathetic" and said it was embarrassing on the world stage. The governor framed his own presence at the forum as a counterweight to what he called Trump's "world disorder," positioning California as an alternative model of governance and values.
At the heart of Newsom's argument was a diagnosis of Trump's character and method. The president, he said, does not negotiate in any conventional sense. Instead, he operates through intimidation, thriving on aggression and what Newsom described as "the law of the jungle." Quiet diplomacy—the kind of behind-the-scenes negotiation that has long been the currency of international relations—will not constrain him. In fact, Newsom suggested, it plays directly into his hands. He pointed to Trump's domestic conduct as evidence: the use of military force and aggressive law enforcement tactics at home demonstrated what appeasement looked like when extended to the world stage. "This guy's a wrecking ball," Newsom said. "This is code red."
On social media, Newsom amplified his message with a directness that cut through diplomatic language. He shared a clip of his remarks alongside a stark declaration: "There's no diplomacy with Donald Trump. Get off your knees and grow a spine." He also criticized Trump for planning to travel to Davos to "brag about wrecking the American economy," framing the president's visit as an exercise in self-aggrandizement at the expense of American prosperity.
Newsom's intervention at Davos came as other European leaders were already pushing back against Trump's tariff threats and aggressive posture. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called Trump's bullying tactics, warning that yielding to tariff demands would result in Europe's "vassalization"—a loss of sovereignty and independence. Macron also objected to Trump's release of private messages, calling it unacceptable. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen struck a similar note, invoking a trade agreement the EU and United States had reached the previous July. "A deal is a deal," she said, and when allies shake hands, the commitment must mean something. She also cautioned that additional tariffs between friends would be a mistake, particularly when cooperation on Arctic security was at stake.
What emerged from Davos was a picture of transatlantic relations under strain, with American and European leaders offering starkly different visions of how to proceed. Newsom's message—that strength and clarity matter more than the niceties of traditional diplomacy—represented one pole of that debate. Whether European governments would heed his call to abandon appeasement, or whether they would continue to seek negotiated settlements, remained an open question as the forum concluded.
Notable Quotes
This guy's a wrecking ball. This is code red.— Gov. Gavin Newsom, describing Trump's approach
A deal is a deal. When friends shake hands, it must mean something.— European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on the prior EU-U.S. trade agreement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Newsom think traditional diplomacy fails with Trump specifically?
Because Trump operates on intimidation rather than mutual interest. He's not looking for compromise—he's looking for dominance. Quiet backroom talks just give him time to escalate.
But isn't that what diplomacy is supposed to do—find common ground even with difficult actors?
In theory, yes. But Newsom's argument is that Trump doesn't respond to that language. He reads restraint as weakness. The more you try to negotiate quietly, the more he pushes.
So what's the alternative? Public confrontation?
Clarity and strength. Macron and von der Leyen are doing it—saying no directly, invoking agreements, refusing to be intimidated. Newsom thinks that's the only language Trump understands.
Is Newsom's tone—the "knee pads" jokes, the "grow a spine" language—does that help or hurt that message?
It's sharp, maybe too sharp for some. But it cuts through the fog of diplomatic language. It says: this is not a normal negotiation. Normal rules don't apply.
What happens if Europe does take his advice and stops trying to negotiate?
Then you're in a confrontation. Trade wars, tariffs, possible escalation. The bet is that standing firm costs less than capitulating.