President Donald Trump has done a lot to antagonize U.S. allies, especially in Europe, in recent days. If he wasn’t demanding the Nobel Peace Prize or threatening to seize Greenland, Trump was leaking direct messages from world leaders on Truth Social overnight.
So it’s perhaps not surprising that the president received a not-very-warm welcome ahead of his arrival in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum this week.
Per The Daily Beast, “protesters in Switzerland raged against President Donald Trump ahead of his visit to the country for the annual World Economic Forum.” Protesters carried signs that said “Trump not welcome” and “Put Trumpster in the dumpster.” Other protesters took on more of an adversarial tone to the summit itself, carrying signs that said “NO WEF! NO OLIGARCHY! NO IMPERIALIST WARS!”
Things got uglier later on, when protesters began burning U.S. flags.
Thousands demonstrated in Zurich against US President Donald Trump and the World Economic Forum as meetings got underway in Davos. Local police said some damage was caused to property and water cannon and tear gas were used to disperse the protesters https://t.co/vB6AvQJCCN pic.twitter.com/b5LyqwGky5
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 20, 2026
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“Protesters set fire to several objects and targeted American businesses, including the luxury car brand Cadillac.’“F— Trump’ graffiti was also scrawled on walls, and one protester carried a sign saying, ‘Trump for prison.'”
The protests took place before Trump’s scheduled arrival on Wednesday.
“The demonstration, ostensibly to oppose the World Economic Forum, took on an anti-U.S. tone in the wake of the president’s musing about seizing Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally,” the Beast said. “Trump, 79, is set to touch down in Switzerland on Wednesday.”
“The forum is expected to be dominated by Trump’s turbulent international policy, including the surprise operation in Venezuela that sent its president, Nicolas Maduro, to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges. Trump has also reignited his desire to incorporate Canada into the U.S., posting mocking images on the subject on social media late Monday,” the Beast reported. French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, arrived in Davos early, and gave world leaders advice on how to handle the U.S. president.
Gavin Newsom at Davos tells Europeans to “have a backbone” against Trump
Calls world leaders “pathetic” for rolling over, says he should’ve brought knee pads
Describes Trump as “T-Rex: you mate with him or he devours you”
Newsom speaks Thursday, day after Trump addresses WEF pic.twitter.com/vnZEPUJAQ7
— Boi Agent One (@boiagentone) January 20, 2026
