California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump for skipping the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, accusing him of abandoning American leadership on a critical global issue.
Speaking from the summit in Belem, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender told Sky News he was filling the void left by Trump’s absence with “an open hand, not a closed fist” – while warning that the United States cannot afford to let China dominate the green energy revolution.
“I’m here in the absence of leadership from Donald Trump, who’s abdicated responsibility on a critical issue,” Newsom declared at the gathering of tens of thousands in the Brazilian Amazon.
The governor, a longtime Trump adversary who trades barbs with the president ranging from “Gavin Newscum” to “The Nodfather,” framed the renewable energy transition as fundamentally about economic supremacy rather than just environmental policy.
“It’s about economic power, and I’m not going to cede America’s economic leadership to China,” Newsom emphasized.
His comments come as China has cemented its stranglehold on global green technology markets, manufacturing 80% of the world’s solar panels and 70% of electric vehicles – even while remaining the planet’s largest coal producer. Trump’s decision to cancel clean energy projects and subsidies upon taking office has effectively handed Beijing additional runway to expand its dominance, Democrats argue.
The Republican president has instead championed domestic oil and gas interests, pushing to expand fossil fuel exports abroad while bypassing the COP30 negotiations entirely. His no-show has allowed Democratic leaders to seize the international stage and criticize his approach from thousands of miles away.
Newsom pledged that California would “lean in” and “compete in this space,” emphasizing the need for global partnerships. The Golden State, which ranks as the world’s fourth-largest economy, derives two-thirds of its electricity from renewable sources – giving it considerable influence in energy markets despite lacking formal authority in international climate negotiations.
However, California still imports 300,000 barrels of oil annually, with Brazil – the summit’s host nation – serving as its second-largest supplier.
When confronted with the fact that Republican-led Texas has actually deployed more solar and wind capacity than California, state Senator Josh Becker, who is also attending COP30, defended the development as economically driven progress.
“It’s actually cheaper. That’s really why they did it,” Becker said. “Not necessarily because of climate action. And that’s good news.”
The California delegation’s high-profile presence at COP30 comes as Newsom continues laying groundwork for a potential White House bid in 2028, using the climate summit as a platform to demonstrate international engagement while the current administration remains conspicuously absent.
