Donald Trump has taken to the stage in Davos to address the World Economic Forum and began his speech by criticising Europe.
The US president opened his remarks by saying it was “great to be back in beautiful Davos, Switzerland and to address so many respected business leaders, so many friends, a few enemies.”
The president echoed criticisms he had made of Europe in his United Nations address last year and his administration’s latest national security statements.
“I love Europe and I want to see Europe go good, but it’s not heading in the right direction,” he said.
It was standing room only inside Congress Hall as Davos awaited Mr Trump’s highly anticipated speech.
Hundreds of people, including several tech titans, sought a coveted seat inside the hall.
Mr Trump touted economic growth in the US, using many of his characteristic superlatives that exaggerate circumstances on the ground.
“The USA is the economic engine on the planet,” Trump said. “You all follow us down, and you follow us up.”
Mr Trump credited his tariff policies, which allies have harshly criticised ahead of his arrival at Davos. The president has also repeated his false claims that he inherited record inflation and has completely eliminated it.
His economic framing is similar to how he reviewed his first year back in power in a lengthy White House press briefing on Tuesday before he travelled to Europe.
In the first part of his Davos speech, Mr Trump touted America’s finances and living standards, which he said he achieved against expectations.
“Virtually all of the so-called experts predicted my plans to end this failed model would trigger a global recession and runaway inflation,” he said. “But we have proven them wrong.”
Mr Trump said he wanted to spend the day discussing “how we have achieved this economic miracle” and suggested, as he did from the White House yesterday, that other countries in attendance could learn from his success.
Distant protesters made their voices, though not their words, heard from the steps outside the Congress Centre as Mr Trump addressed the gathering of elites.
Their words were too faint to be discernible, but they appeared to express angry opposition to Mr Trump.