23 January 2026

How Davos went MAGA

Kathryn Carlson

DAVOS, Switzerland — When U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in the snowy Alpine village of Davos this week, it will mark both the culmination of a yearlong courtship — and a turning point for a forum once synonymous with liberal globalism.

This year's World Economic Forum, which starts Monday, underscores a sharp shift for an event long caricatured as a “woke” talking shop: Climate and diversity have slipped down the agenda, AI and growth are ascendant, and the United States — led by Trump and his inner circle — is set to dominate the stage. That shift coincided with a monthslong campaign to land the U.S. president and reassert Davos’ relevance after years of drift.

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