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Year: 2026

Trump blasts Newsom’s UK pact, warns foreign leaders as 2028 buzz builds

Trump blasts Newsom’s UK pact, warns foreign leaders as 2028 buzz builds

President Donald Trump derided California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international outreach as “inappropriate” Monday.  Trump’s warning was to British leaders against partnering with the Democratic governor after Newsom signed a clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom during a European diplomacy tour. “The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump said in an interview with Politico, adding that it was “inappropriate for them to be dealing with him.” The president’s remarks came after Newsom stepped onto the global stage at the Munich Security Conference, signing cooperation agreements with Ukraine and the United Kingdom while sharply criticizing the president’s foreign policy approach — moves likely to intensify speculation about the governor’s future presidential ambitions. NEWSOM’S DAVOS DETOUR: 5 CRINGE MOMENTS THAT OVERSHADOWED HIGH-PROFILE SUMMIT Newsom has long been viewed by political strategists and analysts as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028. His appearances at global forums combined with high-profile criticism of Trump have only intensified that speculation. The second-term Democrat used the high-profile security summit to position California as a “stable and reliable” alternative to the federal government, telling an international audience that the current administration is merely “temporary” and will be “gone in three years.” “Donald Trump is on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response to the president’s criticisms. “Governor Newsom will continue to lead in his absence. Foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision for the future.”  But it was Newsom’s blunt assessment of world leaders’ attempts to work with the 47th president that drew the most attention. Addressing European heads of state and diplomats, Newsom claimed that foreign leaders “rolling over” for the White House make themselves “look pathetic on the world stage.” The governor doubled down on a jab he first debuted at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, telling reporters he “should have brought a bunch of knee pads” for world leaders who he believes have bowed down to the president’s “transactional” diplomacy. Newsom specifically took aim at what he called the “complicity” of allies who have sought to appease the President following recent controversies over Arctic sovereignty and NATO funding. “I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over,” Newsom said during a sideline appearance. “I mean, handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away … it’s just pathetic.” NEWSOM WARNS ‘PATHETIC’ FOREIGN LEADERS TO GROW A BACKBONE IN BIZARRE TAKEDOWN LIKENING TRUMP TO A T.REX Newsom’s diplomacy tour included the signing of a clean energy memorandum with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, which the governor’s office said would facilitate nearly a billion dollars in new investment. That agreement followed a Saturday pact with the Lviv region of Ukraine, which Newsom said would involve California companies in the “rebuilding and resiliency” of the war-torn nation — specifically in defense, energy, and digital technologies. The State Department historically has encouraged “subnational diplomacy,” particularly on trade, and governors from both parties routinely lead overseas economic missions. Such agreements are typically structured as nonbinding memoranda of understanding and do not carry the force of federal treaties. However, Newsom’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference, a high-profile gathering of global defense and diplomatic leaders, paired with his direct criticism of Trump’s policies underscores how domestic political rivalries are increasingly spilling onto the global stage. Foreign policy traditionally has operated under the principle that the U.S. should speak with one voice in its dealings abroad. Newsom’s remarks, delivered before foreign heads of state while signing agreements of his own, presented an alternative vision of American leadership at a time when Washington is navigating disputes over NATO funding, Arctic sovereignty and the war in Ukraine.

Obama calls Los Angeles homelessness an ‘atrocity,’ criticizes ‘losing’ political strategy

Obama calls Los Angeles homelessness an ‘atrocity,’ criticizes ‘losing’ political strategy

Former President Barack Obama criticized the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, calling it an “atrocity” given the billions of dollars elected officials have thrown at the problem over the years.  Obama was speaking with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen when he touched on criticism local residents and business owners have voiced for years. “I think it is morally — ethically speaking — it is an atrocity that in a country this wealthy, we have people just on the streets, and we should insist on policies that recognize their full humanity — people who are houseless — and be able to provide them with the help and resources that they need,” Obama said. DAVID MARCUS: I’VE SEEN ENOUGH HUMAN SUFFERING IN HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TO KNOW TRUMP’S NEW POLICY IS RIGHT “We should recognize that the average person doesn’t want to have to navigate around a tent city in the middle of downtown,” he added. “That’s a losing political strategy.” Obama noted that building support for programs and resources to assist those living on the streets needs to come with some level of accountability for those being offered the help.  “We’re not going to be able to generate support for it if we simply say, ‘You know what, it’s not their fault and so they should be able to do whatever they want,’ because that’s a losing political strategy,” he said.  FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL FREAKS OUT AT CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT OVER HER RECORD AMID HOUSING CRISIS DEBATE “That doesn’t mean that we care less about those folks,” he added. “It means if we really care about them, then we got to try to figure out how do we gain majority support and be practical in terms of what we can get through at this moment in time and build on those victories,” he added.  Fox News Digital has reached out to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.  California has spent billions to combat homelessness. In his State of the State address last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a 9% statewide drop in homelessness. In January, he announced new investments to create more shelters and services. “No one in this country should be without a place to call home. In California, we’re proving there is a solution,” Newsom said in January. “The strategies we’ve put in place are working, and they’re turning this crisis around — but we’re not done. We won’t stop until everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.” Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos told Fox News Digital that the governor agrees with Obama and was working to create a model to combat the problem that should be replicated nationwide.  “That’s why Governor Newsom is the first governor in California history to make addressing homelessness a statewide priority,” she said. “He is turning around a crisis that was decades in the making by building supports and systems of care to help people exit homelessness for good.” “That’s also why, for the first time in decades, California saw a 9% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in 2025,” she added. “California is a creating a model that should be replicated nationwide — building more housing, reforming mental health systems, removing encampments, and creating stronger support and accountability.”

Montana governor launches sanctuary crackdown, probes capital city over ICE limits

Montana governor launches sanctuary crackdown, probes capital city over ICE limits

A western state’s governor and attorney general are launching an investigation into potential violations of a statewide ban on sanctuary cities and sanctuary-jurisdictional policies, pledging zero tolerance for failure to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told Fox News Digital that he and Attorney General Austin Knudsen, both Republicans, will investigate the capital city of Helena under SB 200, which permits civil legal action and enforcement of fines against jurisdictions found in violation. “In Montana, we don’t tolerate defiance and we support our law enforcement officers,” Gianforte told Fox News Digital. DEM GOVERNOR IN DEEP-RED STATE CALLS FOR ICE PULLOUT, TRIGGERING CLASH OVER ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY “While the attorney general’s initial investigation will focus on the city of Helena, we’re really sending a message to all local governments across the state: If you are found to be in violation of state law, there will be penalties.” In response to Helena City Commissioners’ vote to prevent local coordination with federal immigration enforcement, Gianforte and Knudsen announced the decision will be investigated as a potential violation of the sanctuary city ban originally authored by state Rep. Kenneth Holmlund, R-Miles City. Gianforte said he has “serious concerns” about the resolution’s compliance with state law and said that under the sanctuary city ban, no state or local agency may refuse to cooperate with DHS. THIS IS HOW TRUMP CAN BREAK DEFIANT SANCTUARY CITIES In a letter to Knudsen formally requesting his office’s cooperation, Gianforte laid out how “securing the border has been a top priority of President Donald J. Trump after the previous administration let nearly 11 million illegal immigrants enter freely into the United States under their watch.” He referenced Trump’s mass deportation efforts and said that it is unfortunate to see “recent events” elsewhere in the U.S. that have put immigration agents in danger. In that regard, he described a recent Helena City Council vote as ordering local officers not to get involved in actions to assist other agencies nor to detain or stop a person based on suspicion of immigration law or status infractions. JD VANCE, ICE FLIP SCRIPT ON SANCTUARY CITY LEADERS AS ‘CHAOS’ ERUPTS ACROSS MN: ‘THIS IS DANGEROUS’ “This resolution is clearly designed to obstruct federal law enforcement operations,” Gianforte said. Knudsen told the Flathead Beacon that Helena appears to be “thumbing its nose to the Montana Legislature” and must understand it does not make state law. “I encourage [the city] to retain counsel [and] get a lobbyist…” he said in part. A spokeswoman for the city of Helena told Fox News Digital it had not received any formal communication on the matter from Gianforte, and added that “as a general practice, the City does not provide comment on pending or potential litigation matters.” “[Helena’s] resolution was drafted with careful consideration of applicable local, state, and federal law, and the City believes the resolution is consistent with those legal requirements,” she said. “The City remains committed to upholding all applicable federal and state laws. Knudsen’s office signaled it is only officially looking at Helena, but local reports also pointed to concerns about Missoula — the state’s second-largest behind Billings. A spokesperson for Missoula told the Montana Free Press it has never been and is not currently a sanctuary city, while adding that its police officers do not inquire about immigration status in public interactions.