Donald Trump's.Speech in Davos Apparently Wasn't a Hit Inside the Room

President Trump has never been all that concerned about receiving the approval of world leaders, or at least not the ones who have been traditional allies of the United States. His recent attempts to claim Greenland on behalf of the United States have raised the ire of many in Europe, in part because Greenland has been a part of Denmark for decades.

During a recent speech at Davos, Trump largely doubled down on his assertion that Greenland should belong to the United States. This led many to wonder whether anyone there greeted him warmly, or whether he faced a chilly reception.

As Trump arrived at Davos, he was greeted by a message carved into the snow near the airstrip where he landed. The message said "Trump go home," a pretty clear indication that at least some of the local populace were not thrilled about his presence.

Once he actually got into the room, it seems he was initially met with a mix of cheers and laughter before he started discussing Greenland, and a hush fell over the room, per CNBC.

“I am seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said. “So they have a choice. You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember."

According to a CNBC reporter who was in the room, the people she discussed the speech with said they weren't sure whether to laugh or feel nervous.

“Yes, we laughed,” one politician said. “But it’s also frightening to think he might actually try to execute some of this.”

It seems clear, then, that economic and political leaders from around the world weren't totally sure what to make of Trump's speech, and his bellicosity about Greenland more generally. What's also true, though, is that Trump was greeted with a mix of warmth and apprehension, and was not completely shunned at the event.

Trump was not the only world leader who showed up at Davos to discuss their perspective on international relations. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke the day before Trump, and made it clear that he saw Trump's antagonism toward Canada as a fundamental break in the relationship between the two countries.

"This fiction was useful, and American hegemony, in particular, helped provide public goods, open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security, and support for frameworks for resolving disputes," he said. "So, we placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals, and we largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality. This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition."

It's clear, then, that there are plenty of world leaders who are ready to signal a break from the United States, one that could fundamentally upend the world order that has existed since the end of World War II.