Trump’s Davos Roast Turns Into Threat

Trump’s “sunglasses” joke at Davos wasn’t just a viral moment—it was a blunt reminder that global elites still expect Americans to subsidize Europe’s cheaper drugs.

Story Snapshot

President Trump opened his January 21, 2026 Davos address by mocking French President Emmanuel Macron’s indoor aviator sunglasses from the day before.
Trump quickly pivoted from humor to policy, arguing France and other countries have benefited for decades from pricing systems that leave U.S. patients paying more for the same medicines.
Trump said he used tariff threats—including on French wine and champagne—to pressure Macron on prescription drug pricing, though that specific outcome is not independently verified in the available sources.
Macron’s office cited a medical reason for the sunglasses (a burst blood vessel), after Macron had criticized Trump’s tariff posture and Greenland-related pressure tactics.

Davos 2026: A viral jab that set up a serious trade message

President Donald Trump’s World Economic Forum appearance on January 21 began with a line that instantly traveled across social media: he said he watched Macron the prior day with “those beautiful sunglasses,” then asked, “What the hell happened?” Macron had spoken indoors on January 20 wearing dark aviators, later explained by his office as a burst blood vessel. The moment mattered because Trump used it to pivot from personality to policy—specifically, U.S. frustration with global pricing rules.

Macron’s January 20 Davos speech wasn’t just a fashion headline. He criticized Trump’s tariff threats and objected to pressure tactics around Greenland, casting the approach as unacceptable and pledging France would not yield to “bullies.” That set the stage for Trump’s next-day response: he framed himself as the negotiator willing to say out loud what many Americans feel—U.S. consumers get stuck with higher costs while European governments protect their own budgets through strict price controls and hard bargaining.

Prescription drugs and tariffs: what Trump claimed—and what’s uncertain

Trump’s core argument was familiar: European countries pay far less for prescription drugs while U.S. patients and employers shoulder dramatically higher prices. In Davos remarks, he singled out France and told a story about confronting Macron over alleged “taking advantage” of U.S. drug pricing for decades. Trump claimed he threatened steep tariffs on French goods—including wine and champagne—and said that pressure forced higher drug prices in France and helped lower costs for Americans.

Here’s the key limitation: the available reporting and transcripts capture Trump’s story and quotes, but they do not provide independent confirmation that France actually raised prices because of those specific tariff threats or that any resulting U.S. price reductions were directly tied to that exchange. The broader point—Europe often pays less for the same drugs—is widely recognized as a long-running transatlantic friction point. Trump’s Davos comments used that reality to justify a more aggressive, leverage-based negotiating posture.

Globalism vs. national interest: why this landed with Trump’s base

The setting at Davos amplified the contrast. The World Economic Forum is a symbol of elite global coordination—exactly the kind of “globalism first” mindset many conservative voters blame for outsourced jobs, lopsided trade rules, and political pressure campaigns against traditional national sovereignty. Trump’s approach in Davos paired showmanship with a policy signal: he’s willing to use tariffs as a tool to challenge systems that advantage foreign governments over U.S. families, including on health care costs.

Energy and the “Green New Scam” contrast at an elite venue

Trump’s Davos speech also hit themes that resonate with voters frustrated by the Biden-era green spending surge and the cost-of-living squeeze that followed years of fiscal excess. In the same appearance, Trump attacked “Green New Scam” policies and emphasized an America-first approach that prioritizes energy strength and domestic economic leverage. While the sunglasses line dominated headlines, the underlying message was strategic: the U.S. will not keep absorbing the downside of policies that weaken growth and raise everyday costs.

In the immediate aftermath, the sunglasses clip produced memes and easy laughs, but the policy dispute is the enduring story. Trump’s comments highlight how trade tools and pricing disputes can collide with broader diplomatic tensions—from tariffs to NATO burden-sharing to side fights like Greenland. No new tariffs were announced right after the speech, and no major follow-up actions are documented in the provided material. For now, Davos 2026 stands as a snapshot of Trump’s second-term style: humor up front, then a hard argument that U.S. taxpayers and consumers shouldn’t bankroll everyone else’s “deals.”