Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is preparing for an historic summit. Most prominently, he’ll be interacting with world leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. His arrival has been overshadowed by a controversy that broke just last week, regarding his administration’s stated desire to buy Greenland. Moreover, last-minute technical glitch requiring Air Force One to abort first planned flight to the event.
The communications failure stems from a “minor electrical issue” aboard Air Force One, officials reported Tuesday. This issue required the aircraft to fly back empty to Washington D.C. This delay marked an inauspicious start to the President’s journey, as he was originally slated to deliver a special address at 2:30 PM Davos time, or 1:30 PM UK time.
Donald Trump’s administration is quickly falling under fire for its colonist-esque desire to acquire Greenland. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic accuse him of igniting a transatlantic trade war. The U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump’s stance, stating, “He will not outsource U.S. national security.” Bessent’s comments are indicative of the administration’s larger plan to push American interests out front and center in the world.
After a rough take off, all is on track as Trump prepares to change aircraft and continue on his trip to Davos. There, he hopes to rub elbows with movers and shakers such as Jensen Huang, President and CEO of NVIDIA, Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, and Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. We expect these conversations to touch on a variety of economic issues that would be of interest to both U.S. and international markets.
The President will deliver a special address at the WEF. By all accounts, he’ll be looking to double down on his affordability agenda, particularly on policies aimed at reducing housing costs across the country. Trump’s commitment to economic issues resonates with many attendees at the forum, who are eager to hear about his administration’s plans moving forward.
As President Trump formally preps for these landmark discussions, reactions from the political establishment have been divided. In a recent interview, California Governor Gavin Newsom was unsparing in his critique of Trump’s unique brand of diplomacy.
“There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump: he’s a T rex. You mate with him or he devours you.” – Gavin Newsom
Here’s what Scott Bessent had to say about the potential consequences of Trump’s policies. Becoming the new growth, exciting consensus included convincing European leaders to get on board with U.S. interests.
“I think they’re going to be persuaded.” – Scott Bessent
In her resignation, Bessent boldly slammed Trump’s actions. She said he was “too smug, too self-absorbed, and too economically illiterate to know anything.”
“Shame on him.” – Scott Bessent
Bessent stressed the importance of collaboration between countries.
“We can only grow together by expanding trade.” – Scott Bessent
The backdrop of Trump’s visit to Davos is steeped in tension surrounding trade negotiations with Europe and his administration’s controversial approach to foreign policy. The recent Greenland acquisition proposal has drawn effusive criticism, indicating a poor understanding of international diplomacy. Observers are asking how born of these troubles will play out over the course of his two weeks in Switzerland.