Trump says Europe is 'no longer recognizable,' criticizing EU immigration policies
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: Donald Trump delivered a sharp criticism of Europe on Wednesday, January 21, telling a room of European leaders that parts of the continent were “not even recognizable.” Speaking during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said Europe’s immigration and economic policies have put it on the wrong path.
His remarks came amid strained relations between Washington and its European allies, driven by disputes over tariffs and Trump’s push to acquire Greenland. The comments marked one of his most direct rebukes of Europe since returning to office.
Trump says Europe is “not heading in the right direction”
Addressing European officials and business leaders, Trump said travelers often describe dramatic changes. “We can argue about it, but there’s no argument,” he said. “Friends come back from different places, I don’t want to insult anybody, and say, ‘I don’t recognize it.’ And that’s not in a positive way. That’s in a very negative way." Trump added, “I love Europe, and I want to see Europe go good, but it’s not heading in the right direction,” he said.
The president cited what he described as growing government spending, immigration levels, and reliance on foreign imports as factors contributing to Europe’s challenges. He said many Western governments had turned away from “everything that makes nations rich and powerful and strong.” He added, “quite frankly, many parts of our world are being destroyed before our very eyes,” Trump said. He added that leaders either did not understand what was happening or were unwilling to act. Immigration, a frequent focus of Trump’s criticism of Europe, featured prominently in his remarks, with the president saying countries had brought in migrants from vastly different populations without adequate controls.
Trump repeated that “certain places in Europe are not even recognizable,” adding again that Europe was “not headed in the right direction.” The comments were delivered to a packed hall that included senior European officials, underscoring the blunt tone Trump has taken toward traditional allies.
Trump targets wind energy and European culture in Davos remarks
Trump also renewed his long-running criticism of wind energy, saying, “there are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills all over the place, and they are losers,” Trump said. “One thing I’ve noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses, and the worst that country is doing.”
Trump claimed that China dominates global wind turbine manufacturing while avoiding widespread domestic use of wind farms. “China makes almost all of the windmills, but I haven’t found any wind farms in China,” he said. “Did you ever think of that? It’s a good way of looking at this one. China is very smart. They make them. They sell them for a fortune.”
Trump also expanded his criticism to what he described as broader cultural changes in Europe, arguing that recent shifts were harming the continent. “They have to get out of the culture that they’ve created over the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s horrible, what they’re doing to themselves. They’re destroying themselves, these beautiful, beautiful places.”
