‘Trump Is Temporary’: California Governor Newsom Slams Fossil Fuel Agenda at COP30

With US President Donald Trump absent from the UN climate summit in the Amazon, California Governor Gavin Newsom seized the global spotlight on Tuesday, launching a fierce critique of the president’s fossil fuel policies and climate stance.

Speaking in Belém, the host city of COP30 in northern Brazil, Newsom accused Trump of betraying global environmental commitments by withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement twice — during both his first and current terms in office.

“It’s a moral commitment, it’s an economic imperative,” Newsom told AFP. “It’s an abomination that he has twice, not once, pulled away from the accords.”

The Democratic governor, widely viewed as a possible 2028 presidential contender, said any future Democratic administration would “rejoin the Paris Agreement without hesitation.”

He slammed Trump for “doubling down on stupid” by aligning with Big Oil, warning that such policies would harm both the planet and the economy.

Trump, who reentered office in January, has long mocked the idea of human-caused climate change, calling it a “con job.”

Earlier in the day, Newsom appeared alongside Helder Barbalho, governor of Brazil’s Pará state, promoting California’s clean energy progress. Between bites of tropical fruit and sips of açaí juice, he highlighted that two-thirds of California’s power now comes from renewable sources, making it the world’s fourth-largest economy to achieve such a milestone.

He later met with German, Brazilian, and Indigenous leaders, drawing large media attention usually reserved for heads of state.

Not part of negotiations

While US state leaders are attending COP30, they have no official role in negotiations, which began Monday with renewed calls for global climate action.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham acknowledged this limitation, saying their presence was symbolic but significant.
“When the federal government leans in, we do more — and when they lean out, we do more. It’s both,” she said.

Meanwhile, Christiana Figueres, one of the architects of the Paris Agreement, welcomed Trump’s absence.
“I actually think it is a good thing,” she said, suggesting that without the US federal delegation, Washington cannot “take the floor” and pressure other nations.

‘Trump is temporary’

Despite Trump’s policies, experts say subnational actors — US states, cities, and local governments — still wield substantial influence.

A University of Maryland analysis found that if local governments expand climate initiatives — and a climate-friendly president takes office in 2028 — the US could cut emissions by over 50% by 2035, nearing the 61–66% reduction targeted by the Biden administration.

“The president can’t throw a switch and turn everything off — that’s not how our system works,” said Nate Hultman, lead author of the report.

Still, challenges persist. Trump’s allies recently ended clean energy tax credits early, and his administration has blocked international carbon tax efforts on shipping, warning of reprisals against supporting nations.

Calling for global resilience against such intimidation, Newsom concluded:
“Trump is temporary — you stand up to a bully.”

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