Trump Erupts After Munich Speeches, Brands AOC and Newsom ‘An Embarrassment to Our Nation’

President Donald Trump fired a series of barbed attacks at two prominent Democrats this week after their speeches at the 2026 Munich Security Conference in Germany. Trump’s comments, posted on Truth Social and repeated to reporters on Air Force One, targeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gov. Gavin Newsom for criticizing his leadership on the world stage.

In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote that both Ocasio-Cortez and Newsom “were an embarrassment to our Nation,” arguing that they should “not be talking badly about the U.S.A., especially on ‘foreign soil.’” He also praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom he called “fantastic in Munich”  in contrast to his criticism of the Democrats.

“I watched AOC answering questions in Munich. This was not a good look for the United States.” Trump reporters on Air Force One on Monday night.

He added the same about Newsom: “I watched Gavin Newscum answering questions for Munich, and this was a bad look for our country… These two people are incompetent.” The president went so far as to contrast them with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he called “competent” but “Trump deranged.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks in Munich were sharply critical of Trump’s foreign policy, with her accusing the administration of fracturing traditional alliances and ushering in what she described as an “age of authoritarianism.” Newsom, for his part, offered a more nuanced critique — acknowledging Trump’s polarizing impact but noting that his policies inadvertently “united Europe,” a characterization some European leaders and delegates echoed.

Newsom also used his platform to underline his own global leadership agenda on climate and cooperation, separate from the Trump administration’s priorities. Officials with Newsom’s team later highlighted their memorandum of cooperation with the United Kingdom on clean energy technologies as evidence of that alternative vision. In response to Trump’s dismissal, Newsom’s press office even shared a humorous GIF online, signaling that not all reactions were combative.

Republican allies of Trump also weighed in. Rep. Andy Biggs told Newsmax that Democrats had used the conference to bash the president rather than focus on policy, calling some of Ocasio-Cortez’s statements an “absolute embarrassment” and suggesting that her performance showed a lack of leadership readiness.

The exchanges in Munich reflect larger strategic battles shaping U.S. politics as the 2028 election cycle looms. Democrats are increasingly using high-profile foreign policy forums to present alternatives to Trump’s nationalist approach, while Trump continues to frame critics as not only political opponents but as poor representatives of American interests abroad.

Ocasio-Cortez later sought to clarify her own stance, telling reporters that her remarks were less about personal attacks and more about defending democratic norms internationally — a line she argued had been misunderstood by some critics.

Featured image via The Daily Glitch library