Belém, Brazil - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday called the President Donald Trump"an invasive species" and "a wrecking ball" in a scathing attack at the UN climate change summit in Brazil.
Newsom has been very critical of the decision by the Trump administration not to send a delegation to the COP30 climate conference. The governor is the most high-profile US official to travel to the Brazilian city of Belém for the conference.
Having blasted the Republican for "doubling down on stupid" by expanding a fossil fuel agenda and ditching climate protections, he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping was "cheering" and singing Trump's praises.
"[Xi and China] are sitting back dominating supply chains, dominating manufacturing... because they understand the great economic opportunity to transition to clean and green energy," he said, adding Trump was "temporary."
At a separate event on Tuesday, Newsom levelled that "the Trump administration has abandoned any sense of duty, responsibility, and leadership in addressing climate change."
"It's an abomination. It's a disgrace," Newsom said.
Newsom says Trump's drilling plans are "dead on arrival"
The 30th UN Climate Change Conference started on Monday in Belém, where more than 190 countries are holding nearly two weeks of talks on tackling the climate crisis.
Shortly after returning to the White House in January, Trump for a second time withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
Last month, his administration cleared the way for drilling in an Alaskan wildlife reserve.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported, citing a draft plan, that the Trump administration was planning to allow oil and gas drilling off the California coast.
Asked about the plans in Brazil, Newsom responded: "It's never gonna happen. Over our dead body. Dead on arrival. Period. Full stop."
Newsom last month confirmed he is considering a presidential run in 2028.
Newsom has been antagonizing Trump for months, both by countering the Republican's actions with lawsuits and bills and by trolling him on social media.