Summary:
In what was a long and meandering speech, with no questions from the press taken till well over an hour in, President Trump's 'pre-Davos' press briefing varied greatly in terms of topics, themes, and emphasis. The president drifted between thoughts in a meandering, unscripted, and often tangential way - as he's been known to sometimes do. One of the strangest moments came when Trump joked about nearly injuring himself with a ring binder. "I wouldn’t have shown the pain," he said. Still, it felt so long that some commentators expressed that this briefing could have gone on indefinitely.
President Trump evades injury:
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) January 20, 2026
"I'm glad my finger wasn't in that sucker. That could've dome some damage but you know what? I wouldn't have shown the pain. Boy, did you hear that? That was nasty. But I would not have shown the pain."pic.twitter.com/G7BJIb6Rvz
Address came after flurry of late night Truth Social Posts
After a barrage of late-night Truth Social posts that greatly unsettled US allies, President Donald Trump struck a noticeably calmer tone during remarks in the White House press room. Still, the underlying tensions - especially on trade, NATO, and Greenland - remained unresolved as he prepared to travel to Davos.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking earlier in Davos, urged European leaders to show patience, but mounting pushback from foreign capitals suggests Trump may struggle to reassure allies when he arrives in Switzerland.
Greenland
Pressed repeatedly on Greenland, Trump remained confident - and vague: "I think things are going to work out pretty well." He described he has “a lot of meetings scheduled” on Greenland during his Davos trip.
When told that Greenlanders have made clear they do not want to be part of the U.S., Trump replied: "When I speak to Greenlanders I’m sure they are going to be thrilled." Asked how far he would go to acquire the territory, Trump responded simply: “You’ll find out.”
Trump seemed a little more conciliatory: "The United States and NATO will come to an agreement on the future of Greenland that will satisfy both sides" - as Reuters paraphrased it. "I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we're going to be very happy, but we need it for security purposes," he stated.
On the legality of using tariffs to pressure countries over Greenland, Trump said that if the Supreme Court blocks him, he would pursue another route. “We’ll have to sue something else… what we’re doing now is the best, strongest, fastest, least complicated way.”
Relations with European Leaders
Trump emphasized that he maintains cordial relations with key European leaders, even after public criticism. He said he “gets along well” with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He described French President Emmanuel Macron as “a nice guy.”
Despite this, Trump confirmed he has not spoken with either leader since his Truth Social post criticizing the UK for “planning to give away the island of Diego Garcia,” which he called an act of “great stupidity.”
“They get a bit rough when I’m not around,” Trump said, adding that they treat him well when he is present.
On NATO
Trump once again framed NATO as heavily dependent on U.S. power and spending. “Whether you like it or not, Nato is only as good as we are.” Without the U.S., he said the alliance is “not very strong.”
He insisted no president has done more for NATO: “Nobody has done more for Nato than I have, in every way.”
Trump cited his role in pushing members toward spending up to 5% of GDP on defense and said allies are buying U.S. weapons and sending them to Ukraine. Still, he raised doubts about mutual defense: “I know we’ll come to their rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they’ll come to ours.”
Illegal Immigrants and ICE
Trump expressed rare sympathy for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis two weeks ago. “It’s a hard situation” and “That’s so sad,” he said.
He said he felt “terrible” upon learning her father was a “Trump fan.” Notably, Trump diverged from other administration officials by seeming to acknowledge possible misconduct in the incident: ICE will sometimes “make mistakes” and “be too rough with people.”
This contrasted sharply with earlier assertions from Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who described Good as a domestic terrorist.
Throughout much of the event, he held up small posters or cards of criminal migrants - or what seemed 'wanted' type placards - and blamed the prior Biden administration for the surge of illegals and rise in criminality in places like Minneapolis and across the nation.
Economy, Inflation and Messaging
Trump defended his economic record but acknowledged it is not resonating with voters. He said he inherited a “terrible mess” from former President Joe Biden and called his turnaround a “miracle” and a “beautiful picture.” He said at one point, “Prices are coming way down.”
At the same time, Trump admitted his message is failing to land in some quarters: “I’m not getting, maybe I have the bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across.”
He warned that economic dissatisfaction - particularly over housing, healthcare, and living costs - could hurt Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
Nobel Peace Prize
Trump revisited his long-standing frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming geopolitical bias as “Norway controls the shots. It’s a joke.”
He said Venezuelan opposition figure María Machado told him he deserved the prize, not her: “President Trump deserves it — he ended eight wars.”
* * *
Trump is expected to appear at Tuesday’s White House press briefing to mark the one-year anniversary of the start of his second term.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt teased the surprise in a post on X, saying, "A very special guest will be joining me at the podium today.... TUNE IN.”
The rare appearance at the briefing podium comes as the president faces extraordinary pushback from America’s European allies over his planned tariffs over Greenland, tensions he’ll face in person this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Watch the full briefing here... "Brace!"
