Davos Braces for a Showdown With Donald Trump
The world’s political and business elite will gather next week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.
Quick overview
- Global business leaders will gather at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss the impact of U.S. President Trump's 'America First' agenda on the international economic order.
- The forum will address challenges such as trade tariffs, military interventions, and the U.S. withdrawal from global cooperation on various issues.
- Amid concerns about the forum's relevance post-Klaus Schwab, over 3,000 delegates, including heads of state, will explore topics like artificial intelligence and energy dominance.
- The presence of senior oil executives highlights the ongoing debate over energy policies and the future of green alternatives.
Global business leaders will debate how to preserve the international economic and trade order in the face of sustained pressure from the U.S. president.
The world’s political and business elite will gather next week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, with their vision of the global economic order being pushed to its limits by U.S. President Donald Trump.
His “America First” agenda has translated into the use of trade tariffs as a punitive tool, military intervention in Venezuela, threats to seize Greenland by force, and the withdrawal of the United States from cooperation on climate, health, and other global challenges.
The Trump administration has also threatened Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with criminal charges, prompting leading central bankers to issue a statement defending Powell and the independence of the central bank. WEF leaders, who have branded the forum’s 56th edition “A Spirit of Dialogue,” argue that amid today’s uncertainty, convening to chart a path forward for business and politics is essential. “Dialogue is not a luxury—it is a necessity,” said WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, Norway’s former foreign minister.
Others, however, warn that as the United States and China increasingly wield their power to advance national interests, the Davos forum risks becoming obsolete. Observers are also watching closely to see whether the event has lost momentum since its 87-year-old founder, Klaus Schwab, stepped down as chairman in April.
The Geneva-based organization said in August that an internal investigation found no evidence of major wrongdoing by Schwab, following a whistleblower letter that accused him of misconduct.
The World Economic Forum after Klaus Schwab
Davos is expected to host more than 3,000 delegates from over 130 countries, including 64 heads of state and government, particularly from emerging economies. Argentine President Javier Milei has already signaled that he will deliver a speech with strong anti-“woke” rhetoric, echoing his appearance last year.
This year’s forum has a packed agenda, ranging from how to manage Trump’s interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine—which asserts U.S. supremacy in the Western Hemisphere—to the ways artificial intelligence is reshaping the global economy.
A WEF survey of executives published last week showed that doing business became more difficult in 2025, while also painting a bleak picture of international cooperation on peace and security.
WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said the forum aims to assess whether artificial intelligence will genuinely improve people’s lives or instead give rise to a world marked by a new “white-collar industrial belt.”
One notable feature of this year’s gathering will be the presence of senior oil executives eager to hear Trump promote his energy dominance agenda, which encourages expanded oil and gas drilling while dismissing green alternatives such as wind and solar power. CEOs from ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Equinor, and ENI are expected to attend.
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