The clip that's blowing up from Davos shows Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unloading on California Governor Gavin Newsom in a no-holds-barred takedown that pulls no punches. Posted by Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh), the video captures Bessent in full fire mode—smirking, leaning into the mic, and delivering lines that land like precision strikes. This isn't polite policy disagreement; it's a brutal roast aimed straight at Newsom's image, record, and presence at the World Economic Forum.

The Burns That Hit Hardest

Bessent starts by zeroing in on Newsom's Davos entourage: "He's here this week with his billionaire sugar daddy, Alex Soros!" The crowd reacts—it's a sharp jab at Newsom's funding ties and the optics of schmoozing global elites while California grapples with crises. Bessent doesn't stop there; he twists the knife on Newsom's economic credentials.

"I think it's very, very ironic that Newsom — who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken — may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris!"

That's the money line, and it's savage. Patrick Bateman, the vain, status-obsessed serial killer from American Psycho, paired with a glittery, plastic-perfect Ken doll from the beach edition—it's a brutal caricature of Newsom as all style, no substance, obsessed with image while clueless on real economics. Bessent layers it with irony: in a state full of sharp minds, Newsom somehow ranks below even Kamala Harris in economic literacy. Ouch.

He doesn't let up on the policy front either. Bessent mocks Newsom's absence from a scheduled speech on his "signature policies": "I was told he was asked to give a speech on his signature policies, but he's not speaking. Because what have his economic policies brought?" The implication hangs heavy—California's homelessness explosion, budget shortfalls, business exodus, and more. Bessent calls it failure wrapped in smug self-promotion.

Double Down and Broader Message

In follow-up comments to reporters (including Fox's Edward Lawrence), Bessent doubles down: Newsom is "too smug, too self-absorbed and too economically illiterate." He ties it to broader administration moves, hinting at coming federal scrutiny on California waste, fraud, and abuse under the Trump team. The message? The era of unchecked blue-state mismanagement is over, and Newsom's elite posturing won't shield him.

The clip has gone nuclear online—over 100k likes, millions of views, endless reposts—because Bessent says what a lot of people are thinking but few say out loud. No hedging, no "with all due respect." Just straight burns on Newsom's persona, priorities, and performance. In the middle of Davos glitz, Bessent reminded everyone: flash and funding don't fix failing policies. And when it comes to Gavin Newsom, the Treasury Secretary just served notice that the gloves are off.