But that wasn’t the core of the president’s speech to leaders at the annual World Economic Forum, Larry Taunton, an author and freelance columnist said on American Family Radio Thursday.
Trump’s focus was the well-being of America.
“In his mind that’s the hub, and everything else is a spoke off of that,” Taunton, a longtime Davos analyst, told show host Jenna Ellis.
So, Trump’s Truth Social post around midday Wednesday that he and Mark Rutte, the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), had come to an understanding – one that included Trump backing off the threat of tariffs for country’s that opposed his Greenland point of view – was understandably big news.
Trump sees Greenland as an essential player in his plan to build a “Golden Dome” missile defense system similar to the one employed in Israel right now.
“Hundreds of Billions of Dollars are currently being spent on Security Programs having to do with ‘The Dome,’ including for the possible protection of Canada, and this very brilliant, but this highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency, because of angles, metes, and bounds, if this Land is included in it,” Trump wrote.
Greenland is important, but there was so much more.
“Something that I think has been missed by everyone that I have read or seen comment on Trump's speech is the focus is all about NATO or Greenland and that wasn't the focus of his speech,” Taunton said.
“The connecting thread of everything, talking about windmills, talking about Ukraine, talking about the economy … all of it had to do with, from his perspective, improving the lives of the American people and so elevating their standard of living,” Taunton said.
The most discussed point of Trump’s speech was his assurance that the U.S. would not use military force to acquire Greenland. He did, however, push for immediate negotiations.
Other spokes on the hub:
- Trump gave praise for the U.S. economy, describing it as “booming,” claiming success on inflation, trade, investment and growth.
- He defended tariffs and protectionist tools as fair and effective for trade negotiations, and said such measures helped cut the U.S. trade deficit.
- He sharply criticized China’s and Europe’s embrace of wind and other renewable energy policies as inefficient and costly, particularly singling out wind power in his remarks.
- He contrasted U.S. growth with what he described as Europe’s economic and social struggles, urging allies to strengthen themselves and maintain strong defense contributions.
- He also touched on themes of global security and Middle East diplomacy.
“So for instance NATO, he was basically saying ‘look we're sick of spending trillions of dollars with nothing in return.’ Ukraine he was pointing out that that month by month roughly 30,000 Ukrainian boys are killed, and he's saying ‘is this really the future you want?’”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a sharp rebuke of Trump’s speech, warning European leaders that what you see is what you get with the U.S. president.
“Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change. He will not change. President Trump lost who he is, and he says he loves Europe, but he will not listen to this kind of Europe,” Zelenskyy said.
Taunton noted that Trump, regarding Greenland, also spoke of security benefits for Canada if the Golden Dome and a greater U.S. presence on the island come about.
“He talked about Greenland from the point of view of protecting both Canada and the United States from a nuclear threat, and all of it had to do with improving the lives of American citizens. So, he wasn't there talking about the globe, the world any of these kinds of things. He was very clear: ‘I'm here on behalf of the American people.’”
