Newsom publicly criticizes CEOs for bowing down to Trump

California Governor Gavin Newsom openly criticized a gathering of top executives, university leaders, and international figures for appearing to capitulate and "sell out" to former President Donald Trump. The remarks came during The New York Times annual DealBook Summit, where journalist Aaron Sorkin inquired about Newsoms satirical Newsom Kneepads.

Newsoms Patriot Store offers fictional MAGA-red kneepads featuring Trumps signature, intended as a humorous jab at the former presidents merchandise line, which includes items like the Trump Bible. While the products are not genuine, customers can purchase them with proceeds directed to Newsoms Campaign for Democracy.

Theyre available today, Newsom joked. Some of you may want to buy them in bulk. Our new Trump Signature kneepads are on my Patriot site, which is a real website. He added that the kneepads, much like universities, law firms, and many CEOs, were sold outselling out the country, our future, our republic, selling my kids, your grandkids.

The DealBook Summit assembles hundreds of leaders from business, politics, and the arts. This years attendees included executives from Coinbase, BlackRock, General Motors, Palantir, Anthropic, Bayer, Major Food Group, Nordstrom, PayPal, Southwest Airlines, Mattel, Under Armour, Pinterest, and Victorias Secret. University presidents from Oberlin College, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, the University of San Diego, and Stanford also participated.

During his address, Newsom warned that if Democrats fail to reclaim the House of Representatives, future U.S. elections could resemble authoritarian-style contests seen in countries like Russia, Turkey, and Hungary. Thats the model for Trump, he said, citing evidence to support his claims.

Newsom criticized Trumps interventions in California elections, including deploying Border Patrol agents to discourage voter turnout at Dodger Stadium and sending the Department of Justice to monitor a statewide election, asserting that the process had been compromised before any votes were cast. He described the situation as code red while acknowledging that many leaders benefit from state and crony capitalism.

One of the things Im trying to do is express my concern with greater conviction and clarity, Newsom concluded.

Author: Caleb Jennings