Donald Trump fired the two colorful Americans, but the WEF will give them a stage in Davos. A balancing act for the organizers.
01/11/2026, 04:3401/11/2026, 04:34
Patrik Müller / ch media
Donald Trump at the WEF last year. What will it be like this year?Image: keystone
There is hardly any alternative to flattering and showing admiration when dealing with Donald Trump if you want to achieve something with him. At the WEF in Davos, many will bow down to Trump, and he will enjoy it.
But what about participants he sees as enemies?
The recent headline on the front page of “Blick” was huge and seemed plausible: “Everything for the appearance of the US President! WEF bans Trump critics. Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz is not welcome in Davos. So is the organization disinviting the president’s political opponents?
If she did that, the co-president of the World Economic Forum would also have to stay at home: Roche heir André Hoffmann described the US president as an “old, corrupt man” at the last WEF. However, Klaus Schwab and not Hoffmann were still the top leader of the WEF. Since he did, no more critical statements have been made by him.
But others who made a big appearance in Davos are still blustering against Trump as ever. Two men even record a live podcast in Davos. Says WEF regular David Rubenstein. He was fired by Trump as head of the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, singing wild songs. Rubenstein was appointed by Joe Biden. Trump wants to rename the Kennedy Center “Trump Kennedy Center” – which sparked major protests. It will be interesting to see how Rubenstein responds in Davos and whether there will be a meeting with the President there.
Tightrope walk for the WEF
Also in Davos: the financier Anthony Scaramucci. He became known for his extremely short tenure in the White House when Trump was president for the first time. Scaramucci served as his communications director for 11 days before being fired. Since then, he has enjoyed appearing on TV shows in which he describes Trump as incompetent, unpredictable or dangerous. Scaramucci will also record a live podcast in Davos – on the day of Trump’s speech at the WEF.
Anthony Scaramucci worked under Trump – he has been warning about him ever since.Image: keystone
When asked, the WEF said that Rubenstein and Scaramucci had no restrictions whatsoever for their podcasts. So if they want, they can criticize Trump. For the organizers who are committed to “inclusion,” dealing with Trump is a balancing act.
It is not without irony where the Americans set up their headquarters: in the Protestant church not far from the congress center. There, in front of the church, a certain Greta Thunberg carried out her strike in 2019. Times have changed.