At the World Economic Forum in Davos on, President Donald Trump sharply criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, asserting that Canada should be “grateful” to the United States for its security support and economic backing. Speaking to an international audience of policymakers, business leaders and government officials, Trump invoked a series of past U.S. foreign policy achievements and reiterated his controversial strategic priorities, including an ambitious missile defense system and the ongoing push to secure Greenland.
Trump devoted a significant portion of his Davos address to what he described as a vital U.S. strategic initiative: the construction of what he called “the greatest golden dome ever built,” a missile defense system he said would help protect North America. “We’re building a golden dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, going to be defending Canada,” he said. He framed the plan as essential for both national and international security and to keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay.
In the same remarks, Trump suggested that Canada, despite benefiting from extensive U.S. support, has not adequately acknowledged that assistance. “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,” he said. “They should be grateful also, but they’re not.” Referring directly to Carney’s remarks from the previous day, Trump added: “I watched your prime minister yesterday, he wasn’t so grateful. They should be grateful to us. Canada, Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
Trump: Canada should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the US. Remember that Mark next time you make your statements. pic.twitter.com/yhPe3JDFvq
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 21, 2026
Trump’s comments came shortly after Carney delivered a widely noted speech at Davos in which he addressed broader shifts in the global geopolitical landscape. Carney, who did not explicitly name Trump in his address, spoke about what he described as a “rupture” in the long-standing rules-based international order and called on middle powers like Canada to pursue greater economic and diplomatic self‑determination.
“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition… The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy,” Canadian PM Mark Carney tells Davos summit.
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) January 21, 2026
But he adds: “We should not allow the rise of hard power to blind us to the fact that the… pic.twitter.com/rrCZbS700k
In his Davos remarks, Trump referenced a series of past U.S. foreign policy actions and military operations, asserting that his administration had achieved significant strategic victories. “What we did for Israel was amazing,” he said, describing efforts to eliminate what he characterized as the Iranian nuclear threat and military leaders he named, including Qasem Soleimani and Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi. “We did a lot. I did a lot, a lot of big things, all perfectly executed. Everyone was perfectly executed,” he added, recounting a military adviser’s praise: “Somebody told me that a military expert told me, ‘Sir, everything you’ve done has been perfectly executed.’ I said, ‘I know.’”
Trump also alluded to the technologies and accomplishments that underpin his “golden dome” vision, including those previously developed for Israel. “I told [the Israeli prime minister], ‘bibi, stop taking credit for the dome. That’s our technology. That’s our stuff,’” he said, acknowledging Israel’s role as effective fighters while emphasizing U.S. innovation.
The president’s remarks underscore growing tensions between the United States and some of its traditional allies over security, economic policy and territorial strategy. Trump’s focus on Greenland and defense cooperation comes against a backdrop of pushback from Denmark and NATO partners, as well as concerns among European leaders about Washington’s evolving approach to alliance dynamics.
While Trump’s speech touched on a broad range of issues, the emphasis on Canada’s gratitude and the strategic value of the United States’ defense role in North America highlighted a rare moment of direct public disagreement between close allies at a high‑profile global gathering.
