White House Says Newsom’s UK Climate Pact Is 'Inappropriate' as He Uses Munich Stage to Challenge Trump
At a Munich forum where Democratic 2028 hopefuls tested foreign‑policy chops, California Gov. Gavin Newsom used the stage to unveil a U.K. clean‑energy memorandum — which his office says will facilitate nearly $1 billion in new investment — and a separate pact with Ukraine’s Lviv region on defense, energy and digital rebuilding. The White House’s senior deputy press secretary Kush Desai called the U.K. memorandum “inappropriate,” blasted Newsom’s agenda as a “green energy scam” tied to higher energy costs, and defended the U.S. economy’s positive trajectory while Newsom framed the agreements as a contrast to Donald Trump.
📌 Key Facts
- White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai called Gov. Gavin Newsom’s U.K. clean‑energy memorandum “inappropriate,” labeled Newsom’s agenda “clean energy scam policies” and said it has a “proven track record of failure.”
- Desai tied Biden‑era and California clean‑energy policies to a claimed 30% rise in U.S. energy costs and nearly $5‑per‑gallon gasoline in California, arguing Newsom’s policies hurt his constituents.
- Addressing criticism tied to Newsom’s Munich appearance, Desai insisted the U.S. economy is on a “positive trajectory” and predicted continued growth in real wages.
- Newsom’s office said the U.K. memorandum with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will “facilitate nearly $1 billion in new investment.”
- Newsom confirmed a separate pact with Ukraine’s Lviv region focused on defense, energy and digital‑tech rebuilding, and a Newsom spokesperson accused Donald Trump of being “on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China,” saying foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"An argument that Gavin Newsom’s media‑friendly international deals and Munich stagecraft amount to political theater offering false hope—criticizing their substance, limits, and the risks they pose to pragmatic policymaking and Democratic politics."
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Senior White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai explicitly calls Gavin Newsom’s U.K. climate memorandum ‘inappropriate’ and characterizes his agenda as ‘clean energy scam policies’ with a ‘proven track record of failure.’
- Desai links Biden‑era and California clean‑energy policies to a claimed 30% increase in U.S. energy costs and nearly $5‑per‑gallon California gasoline, arguing Newsom is hurting his own constituents.
- Newsom’s office says the U.K. clean‑energy memorandum with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will ‘facilitate nearly $1 billion in new investment’ and confirms a second pact with Ukraine’s Lviv region focused on defense, energy and digital‑tech rebuilding.
- A Newsom spokesperson responds that ‘Donald Trump is on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China’ and asserts ‘foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision for the future.’
- Desai counters Munich criticism by insisting the U.S. economy is on a ‘positive trajectory’ and predicting continued growth in real wages.