Trump tells Davos: Let’s make a deal

By Sara Schonhardt | 01/23/2025 01:33 PM EST

The president ballyhooed his moves on oil, “clean coal” and artificial intelligence in a speech to the glitzy confab for the world’s most powerful people.

People follow a virtual speech of President Donald Trump at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

People follow a virtual speech by President Donald Trump at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Markus Schreiber/AP

President Donald Trump told leaders of some of the world’s biggest corporations that his plans to unleash U.S. fossil fuels and scrap environmental regulations could help their businesses.

“Not only will this reduce the cost of virtually all goods and services, it will make the United States a manufacturing superpower and the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto,” Trump said in virtual comments to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.

Then he framed his return to office as a boon for the world: “Even countries that we aren’t particularly friendly with are happy because they understand how great the future will be,” he said. “Under our leadership America is back and open for business.”

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In a sweeping address that preceded questions from global banking and oil executives, Trump ran through the litany of action he’s announced since taking the oath of office on Monday — everything from dismantling diversity and equity programs to withdrawing from the Paris climate accord and ending what he dubbed a “costly electric vehicle mandate.”

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