President Donald Trump hit out at two prominent Democrats who he said had served as “really bad representatives” of the U.S. in Europe.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York took part in the Munich Security Conference in Germany over the weekend, where both discussed Trump’s presidency and its impact on relations between the U.S. and Europe.
Ocasio-Cortez accused Trump of destroying the transatlantic relationship and working to introduce an “age of authoritarianism,” while Newsom offered the president more of a backhanded compliment, telling conference attendees that Trump had managed to unite the continent in critical ways.
Trump first responded to their comments, as well as those of his former presidential rival Hillary Clinton—who accused Trump of colluding with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to profit off the misery and death of Ukrainians—in a Truth Social post fired off prior to boarding Air Force One on Monday.
“Marco was fantastic in Munich!” Trump wrote. “AOC and Newscum were an embarrassment to our Nation. For one thing they shouldn’t be talking badly about the U.S.A., especially on ‘foreign soil.’ They made fools of themselves, and always will!”
“Crooked Hillary merely showed her anger and Trump Derangement. Really bad representatives of our now very successful Country!”
He then doubled down on his comments during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, telling reporters, “I watched AOC answering questions in Munich. This was not a good look for the United States.”
He continued, “I watched Gavin Newscum answering questions in Genev—Munich. This was a bad look for our country. These two people are incompetent.”
“At least Hillary’s competent,” he added. “She’s just Trump-deranged. She is an angry woman.” Clinton got into a heated exchange with the Czech deputy prime minister over Trump during a panel at the conference, saying of the president, “Not only do I not like him, I don’t like him because of what he’s doing to the United States, and the world, and I think you should take a hard look at it if you think there is something good that will come out of it.”
Trump also accused Newsom of “destroying” his state of California, and claimed that Ocasio-Cortez had “no idea” what was happening or how to answer questions put to her.
The Daily Beast has contacted representatives for Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez for comment.
The White House later posted a clip of Trump’s negative comments on the official @RapidResponse 47 X account.
The president also complained about a new clean energy agreement between California and the United Kingdom that Newsom formalized while visiting Europe.
“The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” the president told Politico on Monday, using his preferred insulting nickname for the governor.
“Gavin is a loser. Everything he’s touched turns to garbage. His state has gone to hell, and his environmental work is a disaster.”
He added that it was “inappropriate” for Newsom to make such agreements, and inappropriate for the British government to be dealing with him.
Newsom joined U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in signing a memorandum of understanding on Monday that California and the U.K. will cooperate on clean energy technologies, including improving access to California’s market for British firms.
In an X post made on Monday, Newsom wrote, “I refuse to sit back and watch the climate crisis destroy our planet.”
“California will keep showing up, pushing forward, and proving that a safer, more sustainable world is possible.”
In response to Trump’s comments on the partnership, Newsom’s Press Office posted a gif of Trump supporter Joe Rogan looking shocked, accompanied by the caption, “Trump learning in real time leaders can work with people other than him.”
