The new US leader has outlined his foreign and domestic priorities to the World Economic Forum
US President Donald Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos via teleconference on Thursday, just days after taking office. He used his speech to promise a “revolution of common sense,” telling the audience of business leaders, policymakers, academics and innovators that he was acting “with unprecedented speed” to reverse the policies of the his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Here are some key takeaways from his speech.
Stopping inflation
Trump began by promising to confront the “economic chaos” caused by Biden’s “failed policies.”
“Over the past four years, our government racked up $8 trillion in wasteful deficit spending and inflicted nation-wrecking energy restrictions, crippling regulations and hidden taxes like never before,” Trump said.
He stated that he has directed his cabinet to “marshal all powers at their disposal” to defeat inflation and reduce the cost of living. He also promised to pass “the largest tax cut in American history,” including “massive” reliefs for workers and families, as well as domestic producers and manufacturers.
Ending the Ukraine conflict, meeting Putin
Efforts to secure a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine are underway, Trump said, claiming that Kiev is “ready to make a deal.” He called the Ukraine conflict “an absolute killing field,” declaring it’s “time to end it.”
Trump also reiterated that he is willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon” to discuss the situation.
The US president pointed to China as being able to help end the conflict. “They have a great deal of power over that situation,” Trump told the forum, saying he envisioned a good relationship with Beijing.
He also urged Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down global oil prices. “If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately,” he said.
Trump said he would also hold talks with China and Russia on reducing nuclear stockpiles.
“We want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that’s very possible,” he said, adding that it would be “an unbelievable thing for the planet.”
Trump claimed that he spoke with Putin about reducing nuclear stockpiles during his first term and China “would have come along.”
Low taxes or high tariffs
Trump issued a warning to businesses around the world; either make your product in the US or face tariffs.
“My message to every business in the world is very simple. Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth,” he said. He vowed that taxes for businesses will be brought even lower than during his first term as president.
If businesses choose not to manufacture their products in America, “then very simply you will have to pay a tariff,” Trump said. Tariffs on such products will “direct hundreds of billions of dollars and even trillions of dollars into our treasury to strengthen our economy and pay down debt,” he added.
Trump said his declaration of a “national energy emergency” would help “unlock the liquid gold” of oil under Americans’ feet.
He pointed to his termination of the “ridiculous and incredibly wasteful” Green New Deal, the US withdrawal from the “one-sided” Paris Climate Accord, as well as the end of the electric vehicle mandate, as necessary steps to achieve his goals.
Border security
Trump hailed his executive order declaring a “national border emergency” aimed at pushing back against illegal immigration.
Active duty US military and National Guard troops have already been deployed to the border and are “repelling the invasion,” he noted.
“We will not allow our territory to be violated,” he declared.
Two genders and no censorship
“No longer will our government label the speech of our own citizens as misinformation or disinformation,” Trump said, declaring that his executive order on censorship “saved free speech in America.”
At the same time, Trump praised his order to “abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense.” He reiterated comments from his inauguration speech that it is official US policy that “there are only two genders, male and female.”
“We will have no men participating in women’s sports, and transgender operations, which became the rage, will occur very rarely,” he said.
