His much-anticipated address at the World Economic Forum<\/a> drew thousands, with attendees queuing for hours to get into the Congress Hall. <\/p>\n I was one of them. I stood in line for more than an hour and a half. Even Blackstone Group<\/a> CEO Steve Schwarzman had to wait in line with the rest of us. I finally cleared security and found a seat \u2014 lucky,\u00a0given that many were refused entry to the hall.<\/p>\n As the\u00a0crowd\u00a0packed in, the atmosphere began to resemble something closer to a star- studded\u00a0concert\u00a0than a policy forum. The audience included\u00a0Apple CEO\u00a0Tim Cook<\/a>, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde<\/a>, World Bank President Ajay Banga<\/a>, as well as senior political and business figures such\u00a0as Secretary of State\u00a0Marco Rubio<\/a>,\u00a0Secretary of Commerce\u00a0Howard Lutnick<\/a>,\u00a0Treasury Secretary\u00a0Scott Bessent<\/a> and\u00a0Canadian Prime Minister\u00a0Mark Carney.<\/p>\n The queue outside Donald Trump’s 2026 special address at the World Economic Forum.<\/p>\n Spriha Srivastava | CNBC<\/p>\n There were\u00a0some\u00a0lighter moments before the speech began; Cook greeting Banga with a tight hug, Lagarde exchanging warm hellos with European officials \u2014 small, human interactions before the room shifted into anticipation.<\/p>\n Trump was met with loud applause as he took the stage for what many billed as the most closely watched speech of this year’s Davos.<\/p>\n He opened by saying it was good to see so many friends and “some enemies,” drawing laughter from the crowd. From there, he leaned heavily into self-assessment, describing himself as the most successful president and pointing to what he said were\u00a0his\u00a0major achievements\u00a0accomplished\u00a0in just one year.<\/p>\n “People are doing very well and are happy with me,” Trump said, prompting a mix of laughter and applause.<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. <\/p>\n Denis Balibouse | Reuters<\/p>\n The tone oscillated between humor and provocation. Trump took aim at several figures, including a swipe at\u00a0French President\u00a0Emmanuel Macron’s\u00a0sunglasses<\/a>, asking:\u00a0“What the hell was that?”<\/p>\n He also directed a number of comments at Carney.\u00a0A CEO seated nearby told\u00a0me, on condition of anonymity, that Carney\u00a0took it in good humor,\u00a0smiling and nodding along.<\/p>\n Greenland and groans<\/p>\n After more than an hour, Trump turned to the topic many in the room had been bracing for. “Would you like me to talk about Greenland<\/a>?” he asked, drawing a loud\u00a0“yeah!”\u00a0from the audience. Around me, some attendees shook their heads. One person seated behind me, who said they were Danish, muttered: “This is ridiculous.”<\/p>\n “I am seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said.<\/p>\n The room fell noticeably quieter. “This is scary,” one attendee in front of me said, exchanging uneasy glances with others.<\/p>\n
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