Donald Trump delivered a provocative speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he intensified his demand for the United States to annex Greenland. The speech, over an hour long, was punctuated by often disconnected big ideas and most notably, personal and aggressive rhetorical fire at European leaders.
In his 2019 speech, that’s what Trump predicted – suggesting Greenland’s strategic location would make it critical. He proposed that it be used as the first step toward creating a U.S. missile defense shield, which he dubbed the Golden Dome. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to take “ownership” of Greenland to ensure its defense capabilities, stating, “I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland.”
One historical allusion in Trump’s remarks is worth unpacking. Hitler said that Germany had defeated Denmark within six hours of combat. He portrayed the U.S. intervention in World War II as expensive, but unavoidable, to save Denmark. His rhetoric tapped into a very dangerous idea of nationalism that permeated his speech start to finish. Above all, he wanted to frame the U.S. as an indispensable defender of European interests.
Speaking directly to his audience, Trump went off-prompt to talk about trade relations, vowing to impose punitive tariffs on as many as eight European nations. That threat was the center of conversations at the forum and a perfect display of his administration’s anti-trade browbeating.
Trump flashed the beginning of a much larger and more dangerous critique of Europe. He rejected the continent’s “socially disruptive migration,” arguing that such policies imperil European stability. He further claimed that without U.S. support, European countries would not only face economic ruin but cultural assimilation under foreign powers. “Without us, now you’d all be speaking German, or a little Japanese perhaps,” he stated.
Despite his understandable political points of view that made him criticize just as much the European leadership, Trump did want to see Europe and the UK being economically strong. He remarked, “I want Europe to do great, I want UK to do great. They’re sitting on one of the greatest energy sources in the world and they don’t use it.”
Trump slandered renewable energy projects in Europe and called them a waste of money on the campaign trail, describing wind power projects that kill birds. He stated, “There are windmills all over Europe, there are windmills all over the place, and they are losers.”
The former president’s speech was met with protest by other conference attendees who found his comments particularly incendiary and harmful. Mark Carney, former Bank of Canada governor, responded to Trump’s nationalistic rhetoric by suggesting that “middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Trump’s United States of America heritage schtick played a big role in his speech to the U.N. He latched on to the notion of being “100% German and Scottish,” amplifying his American exceptionalism politics while at the same time belittling European nations.
Trump’s tone was undergirded with fists-raised indignation at supposed unfairness in our international relationships. “We give so much, and we get so little in return,” he lamented.
The speech underscored a clear message. Trump seeks to reposition U.S. foreign policy in a way that prioritizes American interests above traditional alliances and multilateral agreements.