San Francisco, California - Gavin Newsom made a surprise appearance in San Francisco on Friday, and he took the opportunity to slam Donald Trump and his "absurdity."

"This is not normal," the California governor hammered.

The politician took the stage in an unannounced appearance on the final day of the International News Media Association's (INMA) Media & AI Tech Week, held at the Bay Area public media organization KQED's headquarters.

"We have to meet this moment," the Democrat told global media leaders. "I'm counting on you. We're not going to be able to do it one off."

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"We've got the President of the United States threatening to arrest me. That's not normal! It can't be normalized. None of this is normal."

He touched on the main flashpoints of Trump's administration and blasted those "complicit," discussing Steve Bannon's recent call for a third presidential term, redistricting, ICE, and thousands of National Guard members having been deployed to California, "terrorizing our diverse communities."

"The DOJ [is] literally his," Newsom said of Trump, "Just like apparently the White House itself... What the hell is going on?"

The INMA event brought approximately 150 global media leaders to the Bay Area for the week to examine how AI is transforming journalism.

It combined a two-day conference with a three-day Silicon Valley study tour, giving an inside view of the technology shaping the industry and changing the fate of media's future.

Gavin Newsom acknowledged the moment, calling San Francisco "a city of dreamers, doers, entrepreneurs, innovators," and one that "prides itself on being cutting edge."

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He also pointed to California as "the most diverse state" and "the most un-Trump state."

"Democracy," he emphasized. "I don't think we will have one in a year or two if we do not recognize our own complicity in this moment."

In a snide nod to the president, he said, "Forgive my behavior, but I now have a patriot site where I'm selling knee pads with Donald Trump's signature that I sent to some of my friends... It's in order to make a point."

"It's extraordinary what's now happening in this country," Newsom added.

The 58-year-old ended with a call for accountability.

"We have an expectation to be counted on," he told media leaders. "In that spirit, we count on you. Hold us to account."

He finished: "I think all of us need to raise our game at this precious moment."

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