By Arlette Saenz, CNN
(CNN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were among the high-profile Democrats looking to counter President Donald Trump at the Munich Security Conference this week as they outlined their foreign policy visions and what could come next.
“Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years,” said Newsom during a panel on climate change. “California is a stable and reliable partner in this space. And it’s important for folks to understand the temporary nature of this current administration in relationship to the issue.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke on a panel about the rise of populism, said “We are ready for the next chapter, not to have the world turn to isolation, but to deepen our partnership on, on greater and increased commitment to integrity to our values.”
Roughly half a dozen Democrats with potential presidential ambitions in 2028 are descending on the annual Munich conference, a frequent stop for politicians to test the foreign policy waters and elevate their own profiles on the international stage ahead of White House runs.
Other possible 2028 hopefuls participating in the weekend events include Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Democrats traveled to Munich one year after Vice President JD Vance, a potential 2028 contender, chastised European leaders at the conference, accusing them of suppressing free speech, losing control of immigration and refusing to work with hard-right parties in government.
While Vance is not in attendance this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is often included in chatter about 2028, was set to represent the Trump administration. As he departed for Munich, Rubio told reporters “the old world is gone, frankly” and “we live in a new era of geopolitics.”
“It’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” Rubio added, also noting that Europe is important to the US. “I think they want honesty. They want to know where we’re going, where we’d like to go, where we’d like to go with them.”
But many Democrats in attendance sought to assure European leaders of their commitment.
Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats are seeking “a return to a rules-based order” and warned against an “age of authoritarianism,” accusing Trump of turning the Western Hemisphere into “his personal sandbox.”
During the panel on populism, the progressive rising star also pitched “working class centered politics” to “stave off the scourges of authoritarianism.” Asked if she would impose a wealth tax “when you run for president,” Ocasio-Cortez responded, “We don’t have to wait for any one president to impose a wealth tax. I think that it needs to be done expeditiously.”
The New York Democrat also was scheduled to appear on a panel with Whitmer on the future of foreign policy later in the day. In the lead-up to her appearance at Munich, Ocasio-Cortez was advised by Matt Duss, a former foreign policy adviser to independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Countering Trump
For Newsom, the Munich appearance marked his second turn on the international stage within the past month. He was on hand at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January and emerged as a focal point in Trump’s own speech at the summit.
Last year, Newsom traveled to Brazil for COP 30, an international climate conference to which the Trump adm