White House Critiques Newsom at U.N. Climate Talks
On Tuesday, the White House sharply criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom after his appearance at the U.N. climate change talks in Brazil. They argued that his actions indicated dishonesty and had “embarrassing” repercussions.
A White House statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation called out Newsom for traveling to Brazil to endorse what they referred to as the “Green New scam,” especially while Californians experience “some of the highest energy prices in the nation.” Press Secretary Taylor Rogers went on to state that Newsom wouldn’t attend COP30 due to reports that developers cleared “thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest for special-purpose highways” prior to the meeting.
“It’s shameful that Governor Newsom is in Brazil promoting the Green New Scam while California residents struggle with high energy costs,” Rogers asserted. She added, “It’s time for Newsom and other leaders to get real about climate change! President Trump will always prioritize the well-being of Americans over these green energy scams. Such unrealistic visions are detrimental to other nations, but thanks to Trump’s sensible energy policies, they won’t harm ours.”
When asked for clarification regarding Newsom’s trip, his office simply responded, “a commercial airline.”
Amid this back-and-forth, Newsom expressed his surprise at the situation. “I literally came out here. What the hell is going on in my country?” he remarked. He criticized the government’s disregard for constituents, mentioning Trump’s proposed tariffs as particularly disrespectful.
Newsom’s press office had previously announced on November 5 that he would attend COP30 in Brazil, contrasting his actions against Trump’s refusal to engage.
Furthermore, Trump had previously claimed that a highway being constructed in Brazil required clearing the rainforest, which he criticized during a Truth Social post. However, the Brazilian government denied that the highway was being built specifically for COP30, explaining that the planning for the project began before Brazil was selected as the host for the summit.
