‘I Admire That!’ Newsom Hits Trump With Backhanded Praise Over In-Person Meeting

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) offered somewhat backhanded praise to President Donald Trump as he dished to Politico’s Jonathan Martin about their in-person meeting in Davos.

Newsom is viewed as a top contender for president in 2028 and has spent more than a year locked in an escalating battle with Trump. Most recently, the president has attacked Newsom over the learning disability that he has been open about, while Newsom has lampooned Trump’s bonkers social media presence by imitating it.

On Tuesday’s episode of Politico’s On the Road with Jonathan Martin podcast, Newsom revealed that Trump tried to charm him when they met in person, and told Martin he “admires” Trump’s thirst to “win over” everyone he meets in person:

POLITICO’S JONATHAN MARTIN: And even most recently, Davos, he was there, you were there at the same time, and he’s talking to you backstage, but he’s like coaching you on politics and PR, right? What did he say?

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): It was a fascinating conversation where he’s just, you know, saying “We used to get along great! What the he–? Hey, we’re gonna be great–,” you know, he said yeah look.

POLITICO’S JONATHAN MARTIN: He wants to win you over in person.

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Yeah he wants to when everyone over. That’s who he is–.

POLITICO’S JONATHAN MARTIN: He wants to sell you the car.

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Yeah, everybody And look, yeah, I admire that on some level. I mean there’s a human quality to that. He needs to be needed. He needs be loved.

And you know and– but then you get into some clinical components of that as well.

So look I I’m not– I don’t wake up every day to try to find you know a crowbar to put in the spokes of his wheel

Watch above via Politico’s On the Road with Jonathan Martin podcast.

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