Trump Jokes “Sometimes You Need a Dictator” at Davos — After Greenland Push and NATO Threats
President Donald Trump said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that “sometimes you need a dictator,” making the remark while addressing the CEO Reception and Dinner.
Reflecting on his speech earlier in the day, Trump told the audience he was surprised by the reception.
“I can’t believe it, we got good reviews on that speech,” he said. “Usually they say, ‘He’s a horrible dictator type person. I’m a dictator.’ But sometimes you need a dictator. But they didn’t say that in this case.… It’s all based on common sense, it’s not conservative or liberal, or anything else.”
Earlier Wednesday, Trump used his World Economic Forum address in the Swiss Alps to press his pursuit of Greenland and warned he could upend NATO, the Cold War–era alliance long viewed as one of the world’s most durable security pacts.
In that address, he described the territory as “cold and poorly located,” and argued the United States had effectively saved Europe during World War II. He framed his demand as modest compared to what he said America had provided NATO over decades.
“It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades,” Trump said.
At one point, he suggested the U.S. had overwhelming leverage, while insisting he wouldn’t act on it.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. But I won’t do that, OK?” he said.
Later on Wednesday, Trump appeared to dial back threatened tariffs on eight European countries that he had tied to demands for U.S. control of Greenland—a reversal that followed his earlier statement that he wanted the island “including right, title and ownership.”
In a post on his social media platform, Trump said he had reached an agreement with NATO’s secretary-general on what he described as a “framework of a future deal” focused on Arctic security—an announcement that appeared aimed at cooling tensions with U.S. allies and avoiding a broader geopolitical clash.
Trump has made similar comments before.
Last August, amid criticism over hardline actions in Washington, D.C., Trump pushed back by saying, “A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we like a dictator.’”
“I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense,” he added at the time.
During a November 2025 meeting with then-New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House, Trump also brushed off past labels, laughing at being called a “despot” and a “fascist.”
When a reporter pressed Mamdani about calling Trump a despot, Trump interjected with a grin:
“I’ve been called much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting.”
Moments later, as Mamdani began describing their political differences after previously referring to Trump as a fascist, Trump cut in again, smiling and patting him on the arm: “That’s OK, you can just say it — I don’t mind.”
What People Are Saying
Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut told MSNOW on Wednesday: “We’re supposed to have checks and balances, right? This Congress has not existed for a year. 90% of Republicans are absolutely sound asleep…The United States has a dictator because Congress is asleep.”
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted on X, quoting Trump: “WOW, President Trump is about to throw the left into MAJOR meltdown mode!”
