California Governor Gavin Newsom showed up at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week with some choice words for European leaders who think quiet diplomacy will work with President Donald Trump. Spoiler alert: He thinks they're getting played.

A Suitcase Full of Kneepads

Newsom didn't exactly ease into his criticism. On Tuesday, he posted on X that Trump was heading to Davos "to brag about wrecking the American economy." Then he added that he'd packed "an extra suitcase of kneepads for those caving to Trump's insanity," positioning California as "an alternative to Trump's world disorder."

Speaking to reporters in Switzerland, Newsom doubled down. He mocked world leaders for "rolling over" to Trump's tariff threats, calling their approach "pathetic" and embarrassing on the global stage. He suggested he should have brought "a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders."

The Diplomacy Playbook Doesn't Apply

Here's Newsom's basic thesis: Trump doesn't operate like a normal president. The governor argued that Trump thrives on intimidation rather than negotiation, calling him "unmoored" and saying he operates by "the law of the jungle." European governments betting on traditional diplomatic channels? They're being played for fools, according to Newsom.

He also pointed to Trump's aggressive law enforcement tactics domestically and willingness to use military force as evidence that appeasement abroad is dangerous territory. "This guy's a wrecking ball," Newsom said. "This is code red."

When sharing video of his remarks on X, Newsom summed up his message bluntly: "There's no diplomacy with Donald Trump. Get off your knees and grow a spine."

Europe Starts Pushing Back

Not everyone in Davos was rolling over, though. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered his own sharp rebuke of Trump at the forum, saying Europe won't be intimidated by "bullies." He warned that giving in to tariff threats would lead to "vassalization" of Europe.

Macron condemned both Trump's tariff threats and the release of private diplomatic messages, calling them unacceptable. Europe will defend its territorial sovereignty and the rule of law, he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed him up on X, arguing that Arctic security requires cooperation and that slapping additional tariffs on allies would be a mistake. She reminded everyone that the EU and U.S. reached a trade agreement last July. "A deal is a deal," she wrote, adding that "when friends shake hands, it must mean something."

So while Newsom was handing out imaginary kneepads, at least some European leaders were trying to find their spines.