California Gov. Gavin Newsom told an assembly of world leaders and corporate executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22 that the Democratic Party’s border policies were inadequate.

“Yes, the Democratic Party failed in the last few years on the border,” Newsom said. “And yes, I was critical of that.”

He recalled differences of opinion with President Joe Biden on how best to manage immigration from a national security perspective.

“We were very, very pointed with the Biden Administration that we were failing to deliver border security for a number of years on the larger immigration issue,” Newsom said.

President Donald Trump told the Davos crowd the previous day that he “inherited a terrible situation” from Biden.

“The border was open. The inflation was raging,” Trump said. “Everything was bad with the United States when I came into office.”

He signed executive orders directing federal agencies to secure the border on his first day back in office, shortly after his second inauguration.

“Our previously open and dangerous border is closed and virtually impenetrable,” Trump said. “We fixed it with the strongest border anywhere in the world.”

Newsom acknowledged that Democratic lawmakers’ policies have led to a loss of credibility in recent years, allowing Trump to capitalize on the opportunity.

“I think one of the main reasons ... that he has been successful is because the Democratic Party is so discredited in the eyes of so many voters,” he said.

The governor called on colleagues to reassess priorities and better serve constituents.

“I absolutely accept that we all should be held to a higher level of accountability in terms of our governance,” Newsom said. “And I think there are many areas of reforms that are necessary.”

He suggested that opportunities lie in the nuances of immigration policy.

“We have failed on the border, and Donald Trump is failing on immigration,” Newsom said.

“Trump is very unpopular on immigration; he’s successful on the border. Separate issue; connected.”

The Golden State governor referenced one of his predecessors, Republican President Ronald Reagan, highlighting pro-immigration comments made as he was preparing to leave the White House in 1989.

Reagan spoke about the “torch of liberty” as a beacon of hope and freedom—core strengths for the country.

“Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier,” he said. “This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”

Trump balanced strict illegal immigration policies with a revised legal process that includes a Trump Gold Card option to expedite visa applications for a price of $1 million per individual and $2 million for businesses.

Other changes include an increase in H-1B fees for certain workers and the suspension of diversity visa lotteries.

Approximately 2.6 million illegal immigrants were deported over the past year. Some were incentivized to leave, others forcibly removed.

Newsom challenged the actions, saying deportations could disrupt supply chains and negatively affect the economy.

He said he was slated to deliver an address at the U.S.A. house near the forum, but he was surprised to learn of a change of plan.

“It was a well-established event ... a simple conversation,” said Newsom. He alleged that elements within the U.S. State Department or Trump’s administration potentially interfered with his speech. “They made sure it was canceled.”

The moderator, Ben Smith—co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor—suggested other interested parties influenced the cancellation rather than U.S. officials, calling the Davos event “the central global gathering of CEOs.”

“A lot of decisions are being made by private companies right now,” Smith said.