If he did not know that President Donald Trump had sworn 3 days before, he will possibly have an idea that his speech in the Davos Congress Hall is a Crusade event.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump’s virtual front attracted the Swiss event to a large crowd, with other people who claim the doors of the 700 -seat room.
As he was introduced, the room erupted in applause. Trump began by congratulating the World Economic Forum on organizing the conference, but he quickly pivoted to his signature “America First” rhetoric. When he discussed limiting “transgender surgeries,” a few people around me sighed in disappointment.
A panel of top CEOs from around the world posed questions. When Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman asked about Europe, Trump didn’t hold back, voicing his frustration with European regulations. His remarks left many European leaders in the audience stone-faced. The room was silent. Frustration over European regulations has been a recurring theme this year — perhaps Trump’s blunt message made that even clearer.
The temperament was clarified when Trump joked that Canada has the possibility of state 51, with laughter in the room. “He has a way to keep the crowd committed,” the user said by my side.
The public laughed when Trump told the president of the Wef, Børge Brende, that China’s leader, Xi Jinping, had called him, out of reverse.
But one of the most important moments came here when Ana Botín, Santander’s chief executive, subtly introduced herself through Trump’s familiarity with her. “You probably don’t know me as well as the other panelists,” she said before adding that Santander’s global consumers are larger than Bank of America’s, adding CEO Brian Moynihan at the same level as JPMorgan. The audience laughed and I heard someone whisper “go to Europe”.
After the speech, a journalist sitting next to me said it was a “missed opportunity” for Trump. “I don’t think he said anything we haven’t heard before, but he had a real opportunity to engage with leaders here,” he said.
One delegate, a woman in a dark-blue suit, said afterward that she’d left the hall at the “transgender surgeries” remark. “I couldn’t listen to it,” she said.
Trump’s speech reminded me how different his style is from the measured, diplomatic tone that usually defines Davos. Whether his message landed the way he intended, however, is another question.
Hop