Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unloaded on California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday, dismissing the left-wing governor’s World Economic Forum stunt as a meltdown in progress — and mocking him as a man with a “brain the size of a walnut.”
“I think Gavin Newsom may be cracking up, some of these things he’s saying. I think he may be in over his hairdo,” Bessent told Politico’s The Conversation.
Newsom traveled to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum — where President Donald Trump’s presence headlined the gathering as the administration presses European leaders to strike a deal for the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
Newsom, a longtime Trump antagonist, used the international stage to urge foreign leaders to grow a “backbone” with Trump — while joking he should have brought “kneepads” for foreign dignitaries dealing with the president.
He also compared Trump to a prehistoric predator.
“This is diplomacy with Donald Trump. He’s a T.rex. You mate with him, or he devours you, one or the other,” Newsom said Tuesday. “The Europeans could be (devoured) if they continue down this path and process. They need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united.”
Bessent wasn’t impressed. He swatted away the dinosaur talk as pure nonsense — and said Newsom looks like a lightweight playing dress-up on the national stage.
“Being on the national stage is very different than being governor of California with no signature achievements, but to say strange things, like President Trump is a Tyrannosaurus rex. What the hell does that mean?” the Treasury secretary said. “I could say, Gavin Newsom is a brontosaurus with a brain the size of a walnut.”
And the kneepad bit? That part wasn’t even a joke. Newsom actually brought kneepads to the forum, branding them “Trump signature series kneepads” during a speech in Davos.
Then came the photo-op that wrote the punchline all by itself.
During his Davos meetings, Newsom was photographed with left-wing billionaire Alex Soros — son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
Bessent couldn’t resist twisting the knife: “If you brought the kneepads, maybe that was for his meeting with Alex Soros. I don’t know.”
Watch the clip above.
