Davos Delegates Brace for Trump Disruption: Insights from the World Economic Forum

For three days, Donald Trump made waves at Davos without being there. On the fourth day, he spoke live, taking his economic conflict straight to European leaders.

His speech, streamed from the White House to the World Economic Forum, was filled with bold claims about American strength. He challenged those who didn’t follow his lead.

Though he began by discussing his domestic agenda, a question from Stephen Schwarzman, his neighbor and former adviser, sparked a more passionate response. Schwarzman pointed out that many businesses were frustrated with EU regulations, and Trump seized the moment.

He criticized high taxes on American companies and highlighted what he saw as a trade imbalance. “They don’t take our food or our cars, yet they send us cars by the million,” he pointed out.

He also slammed the EU’s demands for $15 billion from Apple and investigations into companies like Google and Facebook. “Whether you like them or not, these are American companies,” he stated. “Nobody’s happy with that, and we will address it. I appreciate Europe, but they treat the US very unfairly.”

Trump suggested a corporate tax rate of just 15% for companies that move their manufacturing to the US. For those that don’t, he hinted at implementing tariffs, a move that could lead to retaliatory actions.

Leaders of the European Central Bank and other major global organizations sat in the audience, clearly feeling the tension of Trump’s remarks.

To emphasize his point, Trump mentioned a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, encouraging him to increase that figure to a trillion.

He briefly touched on the situation in Ukraine, referring to the tragic loss of life there. He stated that efforts for peace should start, and when asked when that might happen, he suggested that Russia holds the key. “Ukraine is ready,” he said.

As delegates at Davos mulled over Trump’s latest moves, it was clear that his return to the global stage would bring a wave of disruption and challenges ahead.