At WEF in Davos, Trump Claims U.S. Boom and Signals Tougher Line on Allies

Trump Says Economy ‘Exploding’ in First Year Back, Presses NATO and Denmark

By ATN News Team

Davos, Switzerland (ATN) — President Donald Trump used a high-profile return to the World Economic Forum on Tuesday to declare what he called a historic U.S. economic “turnaround,” tout sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, a tariff-driven trade agenda and a sharp pivot toward expanded fossil fuel production, while escalating a renewed push for the United States to acquire Greenland through “immediate negotiations” with Denmark.

In an address followed by a short onstage exchange, Trump portrayed the first year of his second term as proof that aggressive deregulation, tax reductions, and tighter immigration enforcement can deliver rapid growth with low inflation. He told the Davos audience that “inflation has been defeated,” claimed core inflation over the past three months was 1.6%, and said fourth-quarter growth was projected at 5.4%. Those figures were presented without supporting documentation during his remarks. Outside estimates and methodologies can differ, and official U.S. economic readings vary by measure and period.

Trump also claimed markets have surged since his election, citing “52 all-time high records” and “$9 trillion” added to retirement accounts and savings, assertions that could not be independently verified from his speech alone. He said his administration has secured $18 trillion to $20 trillion in investment commitments and described the United States as “the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

A central theme was Trump’s insistence that tariffs are both a negotiating lever and a revenue source. He argued that higher tariffs on foreign goods help subsidize domestic tax cuts, reduce trade deficits, and force allied governments to change policies he considers unfair. He recounted pressuring foreign leaders over prescription drug pricing and trade terms, describing threats of steep tariffs, including on European wine and champagne, as decisive tools in negotiations.

On energy, Trump celebrated expanding oil and gas output, attacked wind power as wasteful, and said he has ordered approvals for “many new nuclear reactors,” framing nuclear as newly “very safe” and essential for U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence. He repeated claims that U.S. energy policy contrasts with Europe’s, criticizing what he called “Green New” policies and linking them to higher costs and weaker growth.

Trump’s most geopolitically sensitive comments centered on Greenland. He said the island, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, is a “core national security interest” and urged “immediate negotiations” for U.S. acquisition, while explicitly saying he would not use military force.

Trump framed the Greenland campaign as part of a broader complaint that the United States has long subsidized European security through NATO. He said allies now pay more toward defense because of his pressure and argued the alliance should “step up” on issues from Ukraine to Arctic security.

On Ukraine, Trump said he believed Russia and Ukraine “want to make a deal” and claimed negotiators were “reasonably close,” while acknowledging deep animosity between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said he planned to meet Zelenskyy later in the day and described the conflict as a “bloodbath,” emphasizing casualty figures that could not be verified from his remarks.

Trump also asserted he has “settled” multiple conflicts elsewhere and presented U.S. power, including advanced weapons and missile defense, as central to deterring adversaries. In the Middle East, he argued that U.S. military actions against Iran made a broader regional peace arrangement possible, claiming progress would be tested by whether Hamas disarms, language likely to intensify scrutiny given the region’s volatility.

In his domestic agenda, Trump said he signed an order banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes and urged Congress to make it permanent. He also said he would push lawmakers to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for one year and highlighted a pro-crypto stance, citing the GENIUS Act as part of his administration’s effort to make the U.S. a global digital-asset leader.

The Davos appearance underscored Trump’s strategy of mixing economic triumphalism with confrontation toward allies and critics, a blend that plays well with supporters who see hard bargaining as strength, but that risks deepening rifts with partners already uneasy about U.S. unpredictability on trade and territorial rhetoric.