President Donald Trump is set to march straight into the lion’s den of globalist power at the World Economic Forum’s annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, armed with his unapologetic America First message and ready to declare that their long-promised “New World Order” is collapsing before their eyes.
For decades, the WEF has served as the glittering headquarters of the elite’s vision: open borders, unchecked free trade, and unelected supranational control over national economies and sovereignty. Trump’s decision to appear at this year’s gathering is nothing less than a bold, in-person repudiation of that entire ideology.
This year’s official theme—“A Spirit of Dialogue”—feels like a desperate PR slogan to many observers, as the Davos crowd scrambles to project an image of inclusivity and openness while facing the reality of a returning U.S. president who has repeatedly rejected their multilateral schemes, climate lockdowns, and centralized global economic planning.
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World Economic Forum CEO Børge Brende officially confirmed Trump’s attendance during a recent online press conference, signaling that the globalist summit can no longer ignore the man who has vowed to dismantle their vision once and for all.
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Reuters reports: “Dialogue is not a luxury, it is a necessity,” said WEF president and CEO Borge Brende, a former Norwegian minister.
But others say that with the U.S. and China leveraging power to suit national interests, the WEF risks obsolescence.
“Who is going to be making the case for the rules-based international order?” said Daniel Woker, a former Swiss ambassador and foreign relations expert.
“To be very blunt, in a system where everyone is only looking out for themselves, it has no reason to exist. It’s an event from the past.”
Davos watchers are also looking at whether the event has lost impetus since its 87-year-old founder Klaus Schwab stepped down as chair in April.
The Geneva-based organisation said in August an internal investigation had found no evidence of material wrongdoing by Schwab, after a whistleblower letter alleging misconduct. It named BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab CEO Larry Fink and Roche (ROG.S), opens new tab vice-chair Andre Hoffmann as interim co-chairs.
The WEF said that over 3,000 delegates from more than 130 countries will attend, including 64 heads of state and government, particularly from emerging economies.
The latest forum has much to discuss, from how to handle Trump’s version of the Monroe Doctrine establishing U.S. supremacy in the Western hemisphere, to the ways artificial intelligence is changing the world.
It comes just after one of Switzerland’s worst modern tragedies, a ski resort bar fire that killed 40 people.
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In pre-event briefings, the WEF has put a brave face on the global tumult, highlighting how companies have sought to adapt to the highest U.S. tariff rates since the Great Depression and pointing to an easing of trade tensions in late 2025.
Still, a WEF survey of executives released last week showed that doing business got harder in 2025. The poll also painted a downbeat picture of cooperation on peace and security.
With several European leaders expected to attend, eyes will be on how they respond to U.S. challenges, including Trump’s threats to take over Greenland, and attacks on European efforts to regulate American tech firms.
Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of the UNI Global Union representing 20 million service-sector workers worldwide, urged policymakers to address how AI and new technologies impact jobs.
WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said the forum aimed to grasp whether people would be augmented by AI, or whether a world was emerging that could create a “white-collar Rust Belt”.
One feature of this year’s WEF meeting will be top oil executives eager to hear Trump promoting his energy dominance agenda, which encourages them to drill for more oil and gas while snubbing green alternatives like wind and solar.
The CEOs of Exxon Mobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Equinor and ENI are all expected after much more sporadic attendance in recent years, when oil players saw the forum as anti-fossil fuel.
China’s delegation will be “big” and will be headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, WEF CEO Brende said.
