President Donald Trump’s flight to the World Economic Forum in Davos was rough enough on its own—but it was the message that awaited him on arrival that really set the tone for his visit.
Trump’s arrival at the summit had been delayed after Air Force One was forced to make an abrupt return to Washington, D.C. last night following an electrical issue on board. His second departure, just after midnight, is thought to have added a further three hours to his journey.
As Trump finally touched down in Davos, a giant message carved into the snow near the airstrip came into view, spelling out “TRUMP GO HOME” in huge letters visible from the air.
The perfectly timed stunt transformed his arrival at the World Economic Forum into an immediate—and unmistakable—public rebuke. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
“That sums up pretty well the attitude of many European leaders, the European public, whose quite incensed with him for this focus on trying to take the Danish control territory of Greenland,” Ed O’Keefe, Senior White House and Political Correspondent for CBS News, said.
But a snowy message of unwelcome was not the only thing waiting for Trump as he arrived in Davos. A protest sign that read “No Kings” was lit up on a mountain slope over Davos on Tuesday before the U.S. President’s arrival.
According to Swiss outlet Watson, around 10 residents hauled roughly 450 torches up a mountainside—nearly 800 meters in elevation—to assemble the message.
Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum comes as relations with Europe are already fraying, fueled by his tariff threats and provocative talk of taking control of Greenland, a self-governing territory under NATO ally Denmark. The president’s critics say these moves undermine the postwar system of international norms.
Trump, who has threatened to slap 10 percent tariffs on any countries that oppose his bid to seize control of the Danish-owned territory, delivered a speech at the summit, where he said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland” but added that he would not do so using force.
“I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland’s acquisition as a matter of national security and deterrence against Russia and China. Denmark and Greenland have consistently rejected the idea, warning that U.S. military action could threaten NATO and emphasizing that Greenland is not for sale.
In his speech, Trump repeated his claim that the acquisition of the territory is for national security purposes.
There is “no such thing as rare earth materials in Greenland. What matters is it’s strategic national security and international security,” he said.
Trump’s efforts have rattled world leaders. At the Davos forum, French President Emmanuel Macron took aim at the use of economic coercion and territorial brinkmanship, while in Britain, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer added to the rebuke with remarks denouncing Trump’s hardball approach.
“The future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and Denmark alone,” he said.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney used his speech on Tuesday to argue that the postwar international system is fracturing. He described the rules-based order as facing a “rupture,” and cautioned that “the middle powers must act together—because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Trump hit back at Canada in his speech on Wednesday. “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,” Trump said. “They should be grateful also, but they’re not.”
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