U.S. executives in Davos see a Trump victory in 2024, and no cause for concern
Alex Sherman@SHERMAN4949
MacKenzie Sigalos@KENZIESIGALOS
- Both publicly and privately, U.S. executives said at Davos they weren’t concerned if Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election.
- Banking leaders, in particular, expressed confidence that America will be OK if Trump returns to the White House.
- Several World Economic Forum attendees said non-American executives have privately expressed far more trepidation about a Trump 2024 victory than American leaders.
DAVOS, Switzerland — Global business leaders may be in the snowy hills of Switzerland, but their conversations keep returning to Washington, D.C.
The topic of
Donald Trump has dominated dinners and parties at Davos, with many in attendance at the World Economic Forum mulling the former president’s potential return to the White House after his
resounding Iowa caucus victory.
Several business executives have noted a theme in their private discussions during the summit: U.S. industry leaders seem overwhelmingly nonplussed with a second Trump term, while foreign chief executives are terrified — particularly of restrictions on immigration and potential global conflicts.
One prominent U.S. business executive, who asked not to be named because his discussions with foreign leaders were private, said some of the fear may be due to a lack of understanding of the checks and balances built into the U.S. government.
“I’m not sure Europeans understand how weak executive orders are,” that person said. “We have a justice system. Congress will probably be divided. It’s right to be cautious, but it won’t be the end of the world.”
Another U.S. bank CEO privately expressed annoyance with media exaggeration of the threat of a Trump presidency, stressing he’s “all bark and no bite.” The bank chief also dismissed Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election as bloviation.
“He’s going to win the presidency,” the CEO predicted. “Many of his policies were right.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/18/davos-us-executives-see-a-trump-victory-in-2024.html