Trump's Davos Speech: AI Future Prospects and Controversies in Focus

Lisa Ernst · 24.01.2026 · Politics · 11 min

Donald Trump's appearance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos was, as often, an event that heated up discussions and dominated headlines. As an observer of the political stage, I was eager to see which topics he would address this time and how he would present his messages. His nearly one-and-a-half-hour address offered a mix of his usual self-confident assertions and at times questionable facts that deserve closer examination.

Source: Own Representation

In a Nutshell: Trump's Davos Appearance 2026

• Self-Praise and Economy: Trump portrayed the USA as the engine of the global economy and praised his policies, although fact-checks contradicted his statements on deficit reduction and public finances.
• Criticism of Europe: He criticized Europe's direction, citing mass immigration and focus on renewable energies, but emphasized his affection for the continent.
• Greenland Demand: Trump again demanded the US take over Greenland for strategic reasons, ruling out military means, despite Denmark rejecting a sale.
• NATO and Ukraine: He called NATO a "one-way street" and offered to mediate the Ukraine war, meeting with Zelensky and announcing further discussions.
• Energy and AI: Trump denied climate change, criticized wind power, and claimed US leadership in AI, though his statements on China's wind power and Meta's data center didn't align with reality.
• Global Reactions: Markets reacted with relief, while politicians like Merz and Carney criticized Trump's positions or presented their own economic approaches.

Rhetoric and Self-Styling

Trump opened his speech in Davos with his typical self-portrayal, claiming that the US had been a "dead country" until the beginning of his second term. He confidently announced that the United States was now the engine of the global economy, from which everyone could profit. A core theme of his remarks was the fight against bureaucracy and the reduction of administrative burdens. He praised the supposedly excellent state finances of the US and a significant reduction in the trade deficit within a year.

But as is often the case with Trump, a closer look at the facts is worthwhile. A fact-check of his claim to have massively reduced the deficit shows a different picture. In the first four months of the fiscal year, the US government recorded a deficit of 600 billion dollars. Although this deficit was 110 billion dollars better than expected, this was primarily due to higher government revenues and not a structural reduction of the deficit (see Fact-check in Tages-Anzeiger). Trump's statement that the federal budget would be balanced if social welfare fraud were stopped also lacks any evidence.

Positions on Europe and Trade

As in previous speeches, Trump struck critical tones towards Europe. He expressed his view that the old continent was no longer moving in the right direction. He cited mass immigration and the focus on renewable, green energy as the main reasons. Despite this criticism, he Emphasized that he loved Europe and wished the continent well, but doubted its current direction. His remarks on Europe showed clear parallels to his virtual speech at the WEF the previous year (as can be read in the Spiegel article on Trump's Davos speech).

Trump extensively praised his economic and customs policies as a successful model. He explained that instead of increasing taxes or promoting domestic producers, taxes were lowered and tariffs on foreign nations were increased. In his argument, many countries earned a lot of money solely because of the United States, and without the US, they would "go empty-handed." In this context, he mentioned Switzerland and claimed that it owed its wealth to the US, citing a figure of 41 billion dollars.

Trump reported on a conversation with then-President Karin Keller-Sutter about tariff negotiations, during which she "annoyed" him. Keller-Sutter repeatedly emphasized that Switzerland was a small country, and he could not impose a 30 percent tariff. Trump retorted that Switzerland still accounted for a larger deficit than other countries and cited Rolex watches as an example. After this conversation, he increased the tariff rate to 39 percent. However, in this criticism of the trade deficit with Switzerland, Trump omitted important facts (Source: Fact-check in Tages-Anzeiger).

Source: derstandard.at

This image shows a smiling Karin Keller-Sutter in a formal black blazer. Her short, blonde hairstyle emphasizes her striking profile and her presence as the former President of Switzerland.

Greenland and the Arctic

A recurring and much-discussed topic of his speech was Trump's claim of ownership over Greenland. He provocatively asked, "Do you want me to say a few words about Greenland?" and speculated that he would have been negatively judged had he omitted the topic. Trump reiterated that only the US could "defend this huge piece of land," citing strategic national and international security reasons. He aimed for "unconditional negotiations" for the US to take over Greenland and ruled out military means for the takeover, emphasizing: "I must, will, and shall not use violence."

Source: polarkreisportal.de

This satellite image shows Greenland with its extensive ice cover, clear coastlines, and visible glaciers pushing into the sea. It impressively visualizes the vastness and cold of the Arctic region.

He cited Arctic security and a stronger position against Russia and China as further reasons for his demand. Trump emphasized that US control of Greenland would benefit the entire NATO. However, a fact-check revealed that the US never owned Greenland, although Trump claimed otherwise. He also confused Greenland with Iceland several times and falsely claimed that the US had returned Greenland to Denmark after World War II, which he called "stupid." The US had recognized Denmark's territorial claims to Greenland by treaty back in 1917 (Source: Fact-check in Tages-Anzeiger).

Despite Trump's assurance that he would not use force, he had previously announced that he would impose punitive tariffs against Germany and other European countries starting February 1st if they did not yield and sell Greenland to the US. Denmark and other European countries had consistently affirmed that Greenland was not for sale. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte later confirmed a framework agreement for stronger engagement in the Arctic against threats from Russia and China, with the details of the agreement still being negotiated. However, Greenland's sovereignty, according to Rutte, was not part of the discussions.

NATO and the Ukraine War

Regarding NATO, Trump repeated his well-known view that it was a "one-way street." He claimed that other US presidents had spent trillions and received nothing because they hadn't asked. He described the Ukraine war as the worst bloodshed since World War II and stated he wanted to end it. He announced he would continue consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that same day. Trump expressed satisfaction with a one-hour meeting with Zelensky and emphasized that the message to Putin was that the war must end. Ukrainian President Zelensky subsequently announced talks between representatives of the US, Ukraine, and Russia on ending the war, which were to take place in the United Arab Emirates. Trump praised NATO Secretary General Rutte as "excellent" after Rutte had previously praised Trump for many NATO member states now spending more on defense. However, it is important to note that NATO's mutual defense clause has so far only been invoked for America and the alliance has never been solely financed by the US (Source: Fact-check in Tages-Anzeiger).

Source: pngegg.com

This image displays the iconic blue NATO logo with its four-pointed star on a transparent background, conveying cleanliness and precision. It symbolizes the alliance and its global presence.

Energy Policy and Artificial Intelligence

Trump famously denies climate change and considers man-made global warming a hoax. He opposes offshore wind power in his own country and also railed against it in Davos. He claimed that wind turbines bring nothing but economic losses, which was classified as a false statement. Furthermore, he claimed that China builds wind turbines but uses few of them in its own country. In reality, however, more than half of the world's installed offshore wind power capacity is in China, and the People's Republic is investing massively in its expansion. Trump continued to rely on fossil fuels like oil and gas and recommended that the EU use the North Sea for oil drilling (Source: Fact-check in Tages-Anzeiger).

Regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), Trump claimed that the US was far ahead, "even ahead of China." He boasted about the US's leading role in building data centers for AI and mentioned Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is building a data center as large as Manhattan. In reality, the planned data center in Louisiana costs about 10 billion dollars and will cover an area of 70 football fields, while Manhattan is six times larger. This discrepancy once again shows how Trump likes to interpret or exaggerate numbers and facts in his favor.

Source: manager-magazin.de

This image shows Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, speaking on a stage with the inscription "Meta AI with Voice" while gesturing with his hands, wearing a black t-shirt. His gaze is focused.

Global Reactions to Trump's Appearance

The reactions to Trump's speech in Davos were diverse. Investors reacted with relief, and stock prices rose, possibly due to some friendly nuances in his speech. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke in Davos about the "breakdown of the world order" and the end of a "comfortable fiction," emphasizing that geopolitics is subject to "no borders, no restrictions."

In his Davos speech, Chancellor Merz criticized European bureaucracy and proposed a "brake for bureaucracy." He emphasized that Europe must stand together resolutely and sovereignly in the new era of great powers and not abandon NATO. Merz assured Denmark and the people of Greenland of solidarity and protection against the threat from Russia and stressed that any threat to take European territory by force was unacceptable. He welcomed Trump's statements that there would be no tariffs against Europe.

Argentinian President Javier Milei gave a speech in favor of largely unregulated capitalism, saying: "Regulation kills growth." He imposed a radical austerity program on Argentina, cut subsidies, laid off public employees, and put construction projects on hold. Milei managed to balance the state budget and reduce inflation, but many Argentinians are suffering from the austerity measures, and poverty has worsened.

Comparison: Trump's Statements vs. Reality

Conclusion

Donald Trump's appearance in Davos was a mix of his usual provocative assertions, self-praise, and the re-staging of familiar political demands. His lengthy speech contained numerous statements that, upon closer inspection, proved to be inaccurate or misleading. While he portrayed himself as the engine of the global economy and made clear demands on Europe and especially Greenland, his rhetoric met with varied global reactions, from market relief to criticism from leading politicians. However, Trump's ability to attract global attention and dominate the discussion agenda remained undisputed.