Despite a warm introduction from World Economic Forum Interim Co-Chair Larry Fink and largely friendly opening remarks, President Donald Trump spent most of his address to the forum berating Europe for failing to repay decades of American generosity.
“The United States is keeping the whole world afloat,” Trump said, arguing Europe has taken advantage of American excellence and goodwill for years.
Just minutes before, Trump had described reluctant cooperation from European leaders as the U.S. worked out deals with major pharmaceutical companies to lower American drug prices. His voice rose sharply in a moment where he broke from his usual laid-back delivery.
“You’ve been screwing us for 30 years,” Trump said. The president has said that the higher prices the U.S. has paid for prescription drugs for years have effectively paid for pharmaceutical companies’ research and development, while other countries have enjoyed the benefits.
He chastised European allies for opposing the proposed U.S. acquisition of Greenland and questioned NATO’s reliability.
“The problem with NATO is that we’ll be there for them 100%, but I’m not sure that they would be there for us if we gave them the call,” Trump said. “I know them all very well. I’m not sure that they’d be there. I know we’d be there for them. I don’t know that they’d be there for us.”
He specifically called out Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Carney, for not being grateful for the “freebies” his country receives from the U.S. and Netanyahu for “taking credit” for Israel’s missile defense system.
“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said, referring to statements Carney made the day before about standing with Denmark and the semiautonomous territory of Greenland.
“And by the way, I told Bibi… stop taking credit for the dome. That’s our technology. That’s our stuff,” Trump added a moment later.
The president spoke at length about the “economic miracle” he said his administration had achieved by stopping “the nation-wrecking policies” of the Biden administration, touching on “soaring” American incomes, accomplishing “no inflation” while staving off a recession and cutting federal spending and government regulations.
He contrasted the picture of American success with a Europe that he said has become riddled with parts “unrecognizable,” which he attributed to Biden-like policies there – though he said he wanted “Europe to do well.’
“I want to see it do great. That’s why issues like energy trade, immigration and economic growth must be central concerns to anyone who wants to see a strong and united West,” he said. “They’re destroying themselves… We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones.”
Though much of Trump’s speech consisted of familiar themes, the president did provide new statements on the proposed American acquisition of Greenland.
He clarified that the U.S. would not take Greenland by force, and that America was only interested in the island for national security reasons, not its natural resources.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
