Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, via video link this morning – his first major address to a global audience since taking office on Monday.
After prepared remarks, the president engaged in a brief Q&A session with business leaders, giving freewheeling answers covering energy, the war in Ukraine, tariffs and Canada.
On Wednesday night, Trump appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity for his first televised interview since returning to the White House.
The president fielded questions about everything from his controversial decision to pardon nearly all defendants on Jan. 6, even those who had assaulted police officers, the future of TikTok and the federal response to the Los Angeles wildfires.
Reflecting that it was “sad” that his predecessor, Joe Biden, did not pardon himself before leaving office, Trump hinted darkly that he might be investigated and also suggested that he might close the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
Elsewhere, the Bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, has said she will not apologize to the president for pleading with him to “be merciful” to illegal immigrants and trans youth during a service on Tuesday.
See: John Bolton warns Elon Musk has a ‘stay’ with Trump
Former US national security adviser warns that Elon Musk has a ‘stay’ with Trump
A former US National Security Adviser has warned Elon Musk about having a “staycation” with Donald Trump. John Bolton, former assistant to the president for national security affairs, compared Musk to Rex Tillerson, who was Trump’s secretary of state in his first term. Mr. Bolton issued the warning when he appeared on ITV’s Peston show on Wednesday night (January 22). Bolton said: “In the first term, Tillerson was secretary of state, he had been the CEO of Exxon, but having the CEO of Exxon work for Donald Trump was very heavy.”
Oliver O’Connell23 January 2025 at 5:30 p.m
DEA agents now have the power to make deportation arrests
The memo also noted that FBI agents already have immigration enforcement powers — called Title 8 authority — but they typically stick to criminal investigations.
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 5:20 p.m
Watch: Trump asked about peace between Russia and Ukraine
Donald Trump promised an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine on day one of his presidency while on the 2024 campaign trail.
The president was asked about the prospects for peace today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 5:17 p.m
Davos: Trump threatens business leaders with tariffs and demands lower oil prices
Speaking via a live video link from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Trump opened his remarks with a lengthy recitation of alleged accomplishments, boasting of his admiration so far and attacks on his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Andrew Feinberg and Alex Woodward saw his remarks.
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 5:12 p.m
Trump’s agricultural choice is to be heard in the Senate
Brooke Rollins, Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, appears at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
See her opening statement here:
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 5:10 p.m
Watch: Trump claims nothing can destroy coal, not even bombs
One of the more bizarre statements to come out of this morning’s remarks…
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 5:06 p.m
A weakened US militia movement is being revitalized by Trump’s pardons
Donald Trump’s mass pardon of 1,500 participants on January 6, including the leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, has reinvigorated a weakened US militia movement and empowered white supremacists, experts have warned.
Dr. Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said Trump “brought back two organizations that have extremely long records of violence” and compared the current moment to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. .
Oliver O’Connell23 January 2025 at 17.00
Trump still fixated on Canada
He has said it before, but not in front of such an international audience. To gasps from the audience in the Davos hall, President Donald Trump said again that Canada could “become a state” of the United States to eliminate the American trade deficit with the country.
We have a huge deficit with Canada. We won’t have that anymore. We can’t do that. I don’t know if it’s good for them. As you probably know, I say that you can always become a state. And if you’re a state, we don’t want a deficit.
“We don’t need their cars and we don’t need their lumber,” the president said.
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 4:55 p.m
Trump accuses Bank of America of not being banking conservatives
During the question-and-answer portion of his appearance, President Donald Trump disputed Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan: “I hope you’ll open your bank to conservatives. What you’re doing is wrong.”
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 4:50 p.m
Rubio is touring Central America next week
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce says President Donald Trump’s new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will travel to Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic starting late next week.
Oliver O’ConnellJanuary 23, 2025 4:39 p.m