Donald Trump agreed to attend Davos in January, after the organizers provided assurances that explicitly “woke” topics would not feature prominently at this year’s annual gathering in the Alps, according to a report by the Financial Times.
In a meeting held in the autumn, officials of the Trump administration asked the officials of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to remove or scale back undesirable agenda topics as a condition for the participation of the U.S. President, according to the report.
Washington announced last week that Trump would return to the event for the first time in six years.
His last appearance was a remote address a few days after his inauguration in January, during which he urged the economic elite to produce goods in the United States or face tariffs.
Senior American officials requested that the Davos leadership temper or avoid discussions in areas such as women’s empowerment, diversity agendas, the green transition, climate change, and international development financing, as a prerequisite for Trump’s participation, according to two of the sources.
“The American side wanted to ensure that Trump’s appearance at the global, progressive event would still be acceptable to the MAGA base,” according to the FT.
The WEF, which had already become more pragmatic due to the global geopolitical environment, was able to give such “assurances” to officials of the Trump administration.
The pressure from the Trump government on the WEF regarding these issues echoed similar requests it had presented to other multilateral organizations as the price for continued U.S. participation, the report noted.
“The WEF would never agree to any request to shape or change the agenda; however, it is normal for themes and discussions for summit participants to be raised in such a meeting,” according to the Financial Times report.
The theme for Davos 2026 is titled: “A Spirit of Dialogue.”
The discussions will focus on five global challenges:
1) cooperation in a world full of confrontations,
2) unlocking new sources of growth,
3) investing in people,
4) responsible application of innovation,
5) and building prosperity “within planetary boundaries.”
The WEF in a… pragmatic shift
In previous years, the forum had placed far greater emphasis on climate and social agendas.
In 2019, young activist Greta Thunberg delivered a speech warning that “our house is on fire” and urged leaders to take action on the climate crisis.
In 2020, the forum launched the “Great Reset” of capitalism, a post-pandemic initiative promoting sustainability, inclusion, and systemic change.
The recovery initiative inspired rumors about the creation of a globalized conspiracy to restructure capitalism.
The WEF reported revenue of 469 million Swiss francs ($585 million) for the year ending June 2025.
It has a diversified sponsorship base, including major American corporations.
The forum has been in turmoil for nearly 18 months, following allegations by whistleblowers that led to two official investigations into the organization’s governance and the conduct of its founder, Klaus Schwab.
Schwab resigned earlier this year after more than five decades in leadership.
The investigations, which did not uncover serious violations but did identify minor irregularities, continue to cast a shadow over the institution.
The WEF is now attempting to stabilize itself with new interim leadership.
In August, it appointed Larry Fink of BlackRock and André Hoffmann of Roche as new co-chairs and pledged stricter oversight.
In October, the forum announced that registrations for this year’s event had already reached record levels.
It expects more than 60 heads of state and government to attend this coming January, along with 300 government officials and 1,600 representatives from businesses and NGOs.
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