Trump Humiliates Macron, Carney on World Stage at Davos
French President Emmanuel Macron abruptly departed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just ahead of President Donald J. Trump’s arrival and high-profile address — a move that reporting suggests ended with Macron returning to Paris rather than engaging the U.S. president directly.
The timing of Macron’s exit drew attention as President Trump delivered a sweeping and confrontational speech sharply criticizing the current direction of Europe and its political leadership.
“I don’t want to insult anybody and say I don’t recognize it,” Trump said during his special address Wednesday. “And that’s not in a positive way. That’s in a very negative way. And I love Europe and I want to see Europe do good, but it’s not heading in the right direction.”
Trump argued that decades of elite consensus in Western capitals had weakened national sovereignty and economic resilience.
“In recent decades, it became conventional wisdom in Washington and European capitals that the only way to grow a modern Western economy was through ever increasing government spending, unchecked mass migration, and endless foreign imports,” Trump said.
He stressed that restoring Western strength requires a return to core priorities.
Trump said that issues like energy, trade, immigration and economic growth must be “central concerns to anyone who wants to see a strong and united West.”
The remarks come as tensions between the United States and its European allies have intensified during Trump’s second term, particularly following renewed U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland and warnings of tariffs against allies who oppose those ambitions.
Trump also took aim at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing him of taking American support for granted.
“Canada LIVES because of the US. Remember that, Mark [Carney], the next time you make your statements! I watched your PM yesterday, he wasn’t grateful!” Trump declared.
The president again criticized NATO, echoing long-standing complaints about burden-sharing and European dependence on American defense spending.
“The United States is treated very unfairly by NATO. I want to tell you that. When you think about it, nobody can dispute it! We give so much and we get so little in return. And I’ve been a critic of NATO for many years. And yet I’ve done more to help NATO than any other president by far, than any other person. You wouldn’t have NATO if I didn’t get involved in my first term,” Trump said.
Trump also singled out Denmark over what he described as a failure to adequately defend Greenland, arguing that U.S. leadership is essential to the region’s security.
“In 2019, Denmark said that they would spend over $200 million to strengthen Greenland’s defenses. But, as you know, they spent less than 1 percent of that amount. One percent! There’s NO SIGN of Denmark there…It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it, and improve it, and make it so that it’s good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us,” he said.
Trump added plainly, “I am seeking the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
Despite Macron’s early exit, European leaders continued responding to Trump’s posture from afar. Macron criticized what he described as unilateral pressure tactics, warning that Europe would not yield to “bullying or intimidation” and signaling support for retaliatory measures against potential U.S. tariffs.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for renewed multilateral cooperation among middle powers and reiterated support for Greenland’s right to determine its future, underscoring broader unease among global elites over the resurgence of great-power competition.
European governments are now weighing retaliatory trade measures. Germany’s finance minister, Lars Klingbeil, hinted Monday at higher tariffs on U.S. goods while appearing alongside France’s finance minister in Berlin. Macron separately urged the European Union to activate its Anti-Coercion Instrument — often referred to as the EU’s trade “bazooka.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sought to downplay the rift, insisting that U.S.–European relations remain strong despite disagreements over Greenland, trade, and strategic priorities.
Still, Macron’s conspicuous departure from Davos — just before President Trump took the stage — underscored the growing divide between an America-first White House and a European political class increasingly resistant to Trump’s unapologetic demands for accountability and reciprocity.