By Open Chronicle News Desk | January 20, 2026
DAVOS, Switzerland – The snow-capped peaks of Davos became the backdrop for a diplomatic firestorm on Tuesday, as California Governor Gavin Newsom and European leaders traded “niceties” for profanities and grave warnings. The source of the friction: President Donald Trump’s unrelenting campaign to acquire Greenland and the looming threat of massive trade tariffs.
While the Trump administration urged “calm,” his critics at the World Economic Forum (WEF) described a world teetering on the edge of a new colonial era.
Newsom’s “Knee Pads” Comment Stuns the Forum
In arguably the most blunt assessment of the day, California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t hold back when addressing the reaction of international leaders to Trump’s demands. Speaking in the forum’s entrance hall, the prominent Democrat accused world leaders of “rolling over” in the face of American pressure.
“I can’t take this complicity. I should’ve brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders,” Newsom told reporters, calling the display “pathetic” and “embarrassing” from an American perspective. Comparing Trump to a predator, he added: “Diplomacy with Donald Trump? He’s a T. rex. You mate with him, or he devours you… Stop with this [expletive] diplomacy of niceties.”
Macron Warns of “Imperial Ambitions”
French President Emmanuel Macron, appearing with aviator sunglasses due to an eye infection, struck a more somber but equally firm tone. He opened his address with a biting irony—“It’s a time of peace, stability, and predictability”—before denouncing what he termed a “new colonial approach.”
Macron took direct aim at the use of tariffs as leverage against territorial sovereignty, calling the pressure “fundamentally unacceptable.” He warned that imperial ambitions are resurfacing, leading to a “world without rules” where international law is “trampled underfoot.”
America’s allies and business leaders need to understand this:
There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump.
Get off your knees and grow a spine. pic.twitter.com/epAphL4CYn
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 20, 2026
The “Third Path” for Middle Powers
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined the chorus of dissent, urging “middle powers” to combine their influence rather than competing for the favor of superpowers.
“If we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney warned. He reaffirmed Canada’s firm support for Greenland and Denmark, stating that the Arctic territory has a unique right to determine its own future.
The Administration’s Defense: “Take a Deep Breath”
With President Trump not scheduled to speak until Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was left to play the role of the “calm in the storm.” Bessent downplayed the rift, characterizing the tension as a mere “disagreement on the future of Greenland.”
“Calm down the hysteria. Take a deep breath,” Bessent urged the Davos crowd, insisting that NATO membership remains “unquestioned” despite the heated rhetoric.
A New, Independent Europe?
For many European leaders, the “Greenland Crisis” represents a point of no return. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever warned that “80 years of Atlanticism” could be drawing to a close, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that if the shift in U.S. policy is permanent, Europe must follow suit.
“It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe,” von der Leyen declared, noting that while Americans remain “friends,” a diplomatic “downward spiral” would only benefit common adversaries.