Trump rips Europe at Davos for wrong 'direction,’ points to migration and spending

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Trump claims that Europe is 'not recognizable' anymore

President Donald Trump took a shot at Europe, and claimed that it was headed in the wrong direction at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

President Donald Trump blasted European nations for not being "recognizable" at the World Economic Forum in Davos Wednesday. 

"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."

"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. 

GREENLAND'S PRIME MINISTER SAYS 'WE CHOOSE DENMARK' OVER THE US 

President Donald Trump delivers a special address during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2026. (Mandel Mgan/AFP Getty Images)

Trump then 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." 

Trump’s comments come as tensions between the U.S. and European allies have escalated, after Trump has renewed his ambitions to acquire Greenland and has threatened to impose tariffs on European allies who don’t back those efforts.

In response to a group of NATO members dispatching troops to Greenland after Trump resurrected his plans to take over the island, the president announced Saturday that those countries would be subjected to a 10% tariff on all goods starting Feb. 1. 

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Residents in Greenland, the largest island in the world, have expressed concern about President Donald Trump's renewed interest in seizing the territory. (Julia Wäschenbach/picture alliance/Getty Images)

Those tariffs would increase to 25% in June, until a deal is reached for Trump to secure Greenland, according to Trump. 

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Trump's comments in Davos echo previous statements Vice President JD Vance made at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025. There, Vance cautioned that Russia and China don't pose as great a threat to European nations as the "threat from within," citing censorship and illegal immigration. 

Additionally, Vance said that European voters didn’t endorse opening the "floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants."

President Donald Trump previously attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, twice during his first term, according to the State Department’s records.  (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

European leaders bucked at Vance's comments, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said shortly after Vance delivered the statement that he perceived the statements as a comparison to "conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes."

Trump previously attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, twice during his first term, according to the State Department’s records. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.