Referenced photo =)DAVOS: THE SHORT VERSION
(NO FLUFF)
(Sorry for the photo, nothing personal to my EU friends)
Let me give you the compressed version of what actually happened at Davos.
🇺🇸 Donald Trump
What he said (synopsis):
•America is done subsidizing bad trade deals
•Sovereignty matters more than global consensus
•Greenland is strategic and negotiable
•Leverage beats lectures
Tone:
Direct. Blunt. Very American.
Impact:
He reset the room.
Davos stopped being theoretical.
⸻
💰 The “Fed guy” — Scott Bessent (U.S. Treasury)
What he said (synopsis):
•Markets aren’t panicking
•U.S. debt is fine
•Europe is overreacting
•“Take a breath”
Translation:
America isn’t scared, and we’re not slowing down to make Europe feel comfortable.
Why Europe hated it:
They expected reassurance.
They got dismissal.
⸻
📦 Trade — Jamieson Greer (USTR)
What he said (synopsis):
•Tariffs are not radical, they’re historical
•Free trade hollowed out the U.S. middle class
•Balance matters more than ideology
Translation:
Globalism didn’t fail accidentally.
It failed structurally.
Why Davos didn’t like it:
He challenged the core religion of the room.
Howard Lutnick — Commerce Secretary
What he said (reported, not verbatim):
•Europe’s energy policy is delusional
•Coal works when renewables don’t
•America isn’t apologizing for winning
Reaction:
Jeers. Walkouts.
Christine Lagarde reportedly left early.
Was it harsh?
Yes.
Even by American standards.
Was it intentional?
Absolutely.
Sometimes clarity requires friction.
Emmanuel Macron
What he did (synopsis):
•Warned against U.S. “coercion”
•Framed America as destabilizing
•Played the familiar moral authority card
Reality:
Same speech.
Same posture.
Different decade.
Boring.
Ursula von der Leyen
What she said (synopsis):
•Europe will lead the “largest free trade bloc in the world”
•Focus on South America / “Latin America”
•Regional partnerships are the future
Translation:
Globalism isn’t dead,
it’s being rebranded.
What this really was:
Globalism light.
Same system.
New label.
America not invited.
Mark Carney
Now this part matters.
Trump warned Mark Carney to watch his tone in public remarks about U.S. policy.
Trump wasn’t tolerating proxy criticism, even from allies.
His speech was the same as always: Globalist Chit chat
THE BIG PICTURE (WHY THIS WAS A SMACKDOWN)
Europe wasn’t offended because Americans were rude.
Europe was offended because America stopped pretending.
Davos runs on:
•Polished language
•Managed outcomes
•Consensus without accountability
America showed up with:
•Leverage
•Direction
•Consequences
Yes, it was harsh.
Yes, it was uncomfortable.
But here’s the thing:
After all the outrage…
after all the editorials…
Deals still happened.
Including Greenland.
Yes: Trump and Greenland came to an agreement.
See the structure European leadership?
Try it sometime.
Intent.
Planning.
Action.
Delivery.
Results.
https://x.com/StevenEKuhn/status/2014236384479875312
Referenced photo =)“Observation (mine, not medical):
He looked very tired.
Not weak, just worn down.
I genuinely hope he’s okay.”
I’ve been worried about him for the last week or so... raspy voice, more slouching, etc...
I wish we could take some of the weight off his shoulders.