_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Multiple Democratic presidential hopefuls descended on Munich this weekend for the Security Conference, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
What distinguishes this gathering is that the Democrats are using a global stage to directly attack President Trump's foreign policy in front of world leaders and international officials. Once considered a boundary that transcended partisan politics — the unwritten rule that criticizing a sitting president abroad undermines US credibility — this strategy is now being used as a soft launch for their possible presidential campaigns.
_THE FACTS_
Gavin Newsom told the Munich audience that "Donald Trump is temporary; he'll be gone in three years" and positioned California as "a stable and reliable partner" for European allies.
The California governor called Trump "a wholly owned subsidiary of big oil, gas, and coal" while focusing on his own climate change achievements.
Newsom is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and formalize a new partnership between California and Ukraine.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is participating in two panels: one on the rise of populism and another on shifts in US foreign policy.
The New York congresswoman called for an “expeditious” US wealth tax and for the restoration of USAID funding.
AOC stumbled when asked if the US should commit troops to defend Taiwan from a possible Chinese incursion, freezing and unable to answer.
Sen. Gallego posted on X that he planned to discuss "rebuilding alliances and restoring steady American leadership."
Sen. Mark Kelly and Gov. Whitmer will also be in attendance, with Whitmer expected to secure defense industry deals for Michigan with German partners.
_INSIGHTS_
Every Democrat speaking at the Munich Security Conference is expected to offer an alternative foreign policy vision to President Trump. Not only is the 2028 presidential primary kicking off in Germany, but it is a full display of America’s disunity if the leaders of the opposition party are in attendance to deliberately undermine the current administration’s policies.
But for Newsom in particular, the strategy of positioning California as a quasi-independent actor in global affairs is a gamble. His rhetoric about Trump being "temporary" may play well with European audiences and Democratic donors, but it also hands Republicans ammunition about Democrats cozying up to Europeans while subverting America’s broader interests.
