'Have a backbone': Gavin Newsom excoriates European leaders for 'rolling over' to Trump | indy100

Gavin Newsom warns there could be no 2028 election under 'authoritarian' Trump

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

California governor Gavin Newsom has slammed European leaders for “rolling over” for Donald Trump, labelling their behaviour thus far as “pathetic”.

Newsom has emerged as one of Trump’s fiercest political adversaries in recent months, being outspoken about where he disagrees with the US president.

In an extraordinary interview with the press, it seems he wants others to follow his lead and stop being played “for fools” by Trump. His comments come amid huge tension between the US and Europe over Trump’s desire to aquire Greenland – an autonomous island belonging to Denmark.

He made the comments in Davos in the Swiss Alps, where at least 60 world leaders are gathering to attend the World Economic Forum.

For European leaders, Newsom had this message: “Time to buck up. It’s time to get serious and stop being complicit. It’s time to stand tall and firm, have a backbone. I’'ve seen this in the United States, the supine Congress playing both sides – say one thing on a text or tweet and another publicly. It’s time to have principles, it’s time to stand tall and strong, time to stand united.”

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He continued: “I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over. I should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders. I mean, handing out crowns … Nobel prizes that are being given away. It’s just pathetic. And I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage … it’s embarrassing.”

Newsom argued Trump is “playing folks for fools”.

“[Trump’s] a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you, one or the other.”

During his evisceration, Newsom argued that conversations on how to stand up to Trump should have happened a year ago when he took office.

“Hard to disagree,” one person responded.

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Another wrote: “He’s right. Grow a f**king backbone people, enough is enough. Publicly sucking up to Trump isn’t diplomacy, you can’t appease a tyrant.”

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