Special Topic: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting_2026 Winter Davos Core Points

US President Donald Trump, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, abandoned plans to impose additional tariffs on European nations and also ruled out the possibility of seizing Greenland by force. Nevertheless, he launched fierce criticisms against multiple parties. Here is a rundown of some of the targets of his recent verbal assaults.

On January 21, 2026, US President Donald Trump gestures during a special address at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The forum was held from January 19 to 23, 2026. US President Donald Trump stated during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he was dropping plans for new tariffs on European countries and also dismissed the possibility of acquiring Greenland through military action. However, during his characteristically informal special address, which lasted over an hour, he continued the confrontational rhetoric that marked his presidency. Trump touched upon US economic growth, his long-pursued plan to purchase Greenland from Denmark, and the wind energy industries in Europe and China. The US President also shared his views on certain Western political leaders and, in a subsequent speech, again turned his criticism towards a specific NATO member country. The following is a list of those he targeted this week. France French President Emmanuel Macron wore a pair of dark, reflective sunglasses during his Tuesday speech in Davos, prompting Trump to ask during his own address, "What the hell is wrong with him?" "I saw him yesterday with those fancy sunglasses on," Trump said during his Wednesday speech, eliciting laughter from the audience. On January 20, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron looks out during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Macron's office later clarified that the President wore the aviator sunglasses to protect his eyes due to a recent burst blood vessel. While Macron did not name Trump directly in his speech, he warned that the world was heading towards "disorder" and condemned the actions of "bullies." Trump, in his speech, claimed he had persuaded Macron to agree to higher drug prices in France, stating bluntly, "For thirty years, you've been taking advantage of us." The French presidency subsequently rebutted this claim on social media, calling it "fake news" and accompanying the post with a GIF of Trump using the same phrase into a microphone. "Rumors suggest that President Emmanuel Macron has raised drug prices," the French presidency stated in a Wednesday declaration. The statement added, "Drug pricing is not decided by the President but is regulated by the social security system, and in fact, prices have remained stable. Anyone who has been to a pharmacy in France knows this." Canada Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered one of the forum's most pointed speeches in Davos, accusing certain "major powers" of weaponizing economic strength and calling for "middle powers" to unite, "because if we are not at the table when the rules are written, we will be on the menu." "By the way, Canada gets a lot from us," Trump responded in his speech the following day, "They should be grateful, but they're not. I listened to your Prime Minister yesterday, and he wasn't grateful at all." On January 20, 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the 56th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Trump further added, "Canada's existence depends on the United States. Mark, you should remember that the next time you make a statement." After leaving Davos, Trump announced he was rescinding his invitation for Carney to join his "Gaza Peace Commission." Carney had indicated last week his intention to join the commission, pending finalization of details including funding terms. Permanent member nations of the commission are required to contribute $10 billion each. Spain On Thursday, during a signing ceremony for the "Gaza Peace Commission," Trump again criticized Spain over defense spending. The NATO military alliance agreed last June to a plan aiming to increase members' defense spending from 2% to over 5% of GDP by 2035. However, Spain successfully secured an exemption, allowing it to maintain its defense spending around 2%. "I really don't understand Spain's position, why don't they want to comply with the agreement? I guess they want a free ride, right?" Trump said, "Everyone except Spain agreed to raise it to 5%. I really can't figure out why. We need to have a serious talk with Spain." On July 9, 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks during a plenary session at the Parliament in Madrid, Spain. Recent corruption allegations involving a senior official from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party have threatened the government led by PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez. Trump had previously threatened retaliatory measures if Spain refused to meet the defense spending target. He also recently stated, during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, that Spain had "no excuse" for skimping on defense spending. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated last June that the country's current level of defense spending at 2% of GDP is "sufficient, pragmatic, and consistent with a welfare state." Switzerland Former Swiss Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter also faced criticism from Trump this week. During his Wednesday speech, Trump mistakenly referred to Keller-Sutter as the Swiss "Prime Minister" and revealed that he received a call from her after he threatened to impose a 30% tariff on Swiss goods. "She gets on the phone and says, 'No, no, no, you can't do that, 30% is too high. We are just a small country.' I told her, 'That may be, but your trade deficit with us is substantial.' To be honest, her attitude really bothered me," Trump said. On January 21, 2026, US Ambassador to Switzerland Calista Gingrich, US President Donald Trump, Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin, and Swiss Federal Councillor for Economic Affairs Karin Keller-Sutter pose for a photo prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Trump claimed that following that call, he raised the tariff rate on Switzerland to 39%, one of the highest tariff rates his administration imposed on a single country. Late last year, Trump had agreed to reduce tariffs on Swiss goods to 15%. Keller-Sutter's term ended last December. "Useless" Wind Turbines The targets of Trump's criticisms were not limited to political leaders. The President, a long-time critic of the wind energy industry, also took aim at wind turbines. "Europe is covered with wind turbines," Trump said in his Davos speech, "They are everywhere, and they are useless. I've noticed a pattern: the more wind turbines a country has, the greater its economic losses and the worse its development situation." Trump added, "Almost all these wind turbines are made in China, but I don't see many wind farms in China. Have you ever thought about that? It tells you everything. The Chinese are very smart. They manufacture these turbines, sell them at high prices to suckers who buy them, but they don't use them themselves." China, a global leader in wind energy, responded to Trump's comments, defending its renewable energy strategy and reaffirming its firm commitment to promoting low-carbon energy development. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and Henrik Andersen, CEO of Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems, also dismissed Trump's remarks. "On this particular topic, we have a very different view. We do believe that climate change has a massive impact on the economy," Hoekstra said in a Wednesday interview. In a separate interview, the Vestas CEO refuted Trump's claim that wind energy is "ineffective." "We will continue steadfastly on the path we are on," Andersen said in a Thursday interview.