President Donald Trump delivered harsh criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in a recent Oval Office interview.
The president questioned Newsom’s fitness for higher office while pointing to what he views as failures in the Democrat’s management of the Golden State.
Trump spoke with The California Post on Friday following his administration’s legal action against California.
The federal government has sued the state over sanctuary policies, leveled fraud accusations and withdrawn federal funding.
The president expressed disbelief at Newsom’s potential presidential ambitions.
“I’m amazed Gavin wants to run for office,” Trump stated during the interview.
Trump, who maintains property interests in California through his ownership of a golf course, offered a grim assessment of the state’s current trajectory.
He drew a distinction between California’s enduring appeal and its present reality under Democratic leadership.
“People love the dream of California, but they hate what’s happening to them,” Trump said.
He argued that the state requires different governance than what it currently receives.
The president did not mince words when evaluating Newsom’s performance.
“Gavin’s incompetent,” he said, adding that California needs “proper leadership.”
Newsom has emerged as a frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination despite Trump’s criticism. According to RealClearPolitics survey averages, the California governor leads among Democratic voters considering the next primary race.
Current polling shows Newsom capturing 24 percent support among Democrats.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris follows with 21 percent, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg holds 11 percent. Meanwhile, New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez registers 8 percent.
The governor has adopted an aggressive social media presence reminiscent of Trump’s own style.
This approach has helped Newsom build his national profile as he positions himself for a potential White House campaign.
Trump predicted that Newsom’s California record would become a liability in any national campaign.
He singled out the state’s high-speed rail project as a particularly vulnerable point for scrutiny.
The rail initiative, designed to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco, carries a price tag of $135 billion.
This makes it the most expensive train project in American history.
Newsom touted progress on the rail system during his State of the State address earlier this month, the New York Post reported earlier this month.
“Speaking of tracks, we’re finally laying them,” Newsom said, highlighting that more than 60 miles of guideway have been constructed in the Central Valley.
The governor noted that land acquisition has proceeded and environmental clearance has been obtained for most of the planned route. However, Trump remained deeply skeptical of the project’s viability and cost management.
“He has the train, the train to nowhere, that was supposed to be a simple train that went from San Francisco to Los Angeles,” Trump told The California Post
“It’s the greatest cost run over that I’ve ever seen.”
The president claimed he could have delivered the project more efficiently.
“I could have built that thing, and I could have built that thing in one year,” Trump stated.
