California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of authoritarianism during a public conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, arguing that recent efforts to block his participation in events reflect a broader assault on democratic norms in the United States.
Speaking with journalist Ben Smith, Newsom referenced a canceled appearance at the USA House, a privately run venue endorsed by the U.S. State Department and funded by major American corporations. The event, which was scheduled to take place after President Donald Trump’s speech, was pulled at the last minute. Newsom said the decision was emblematic of what he described as a growing culture of censorship and political intimidation.
“That’s what’s happening in the United States of America: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech—America in reverse,” Newsom said. He argued that the cancellation was not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern. “They’re censoring historical facts. They’re rewriting history. They’re censoring books—over 4,000 books banned from libraries and schools across the United States,” he said.
Censoring books. Rewriting history. Attacking independent institutions. Using military force against American citizens.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 22, 2026
This is what authoritarianism looks like. Wake up. pic.twitter.com/YMrKRlpYTK
Newsom told the Davos audience that institutions traditionally associated with independent thinking are increasingly under pressure. He pointed to recent federal actions in California as evidence, describing how thousands of National Guard members were federalized and hundreds of active-duty Marines were deployed domestically rather than overseas. “You’re watching institutions of independent thinking come under assault by the Trump administration,” he said.
The governor offered an account of law enforcement activity he attributed to federal directives, describing masked officers, aggressive raids, and alleged violations of due process. He cited people being detained without clear legal procedures, families separated, doors broken down, and what he described as racial profiling of American citizens. “People disappearing—literally—with no due process,” Newsom said, calling the scenes “objective facts.”
Against that backdrop, Newsom said it was unsurprising that his remarks were unwelcome. “So is it surprising that the Trump administration didn’t like my commentary and wanted to make sure I wasn’t allowed to speak? No,” he said. “It’s consistent with this administration and its authoritarian tendencies.”
Smith pressed Newsom on the role of the private sector, noting that the decision to cancel the event was made by a private enterprise at a gathering dominated by global corporate leaders. Newsom responded by arguing that companies are not neutral actors in the current political climate. “Society becomes how we behave. We are our behaviors. We’re not bystanders,” he said.
He added that corporate leaders bear responsibility for the broader environment in which such decisions are made. “The world we’re experiencing happened on our watch,” Newsom said, adding that elements of the private sector are “complicit, in some respects, in this moment.”
The exchange highlighted escalating tensions between Newsom and the Trump administration and underscored the governor’s effort to frame recent political and law enforcement actions as part of a deeper challenge to democratic governance in the United States.
