U.S. President Donald Trump attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Former CIA Director and Homeland Security advisor John Brennan told MS NOW that government officials in the intelligence community are reeling at the train of untruths and ‘aberrant behavior’ that plowed from President Donald Trump’s podium at Davos on Wednesday.
“We're all ashamed of what we saw on the stage in Davos,” Brennen told MS NOW anchor Nicole Wallace. “… when we hear Donald Trump talk about history in such an ignorant way, it really is a time where I think all Americans, whether or not they served in the military, diplomatic service, national security, intelligence, feel that we have reached this real inflection point where America’s leadership on the world stage is not just in question, but also is now being seen as being absent.”
Wallace replayed footage of Trump mangling world history, claiming the U.S. fought World War II to “save” Greenland for Denmark.
“It's hard to call it land. It's a big piece of ice. But we saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold. And then after the war, which we won — we won it big. Without us, right now, you'd all be speaking German and a little Japanese, perhaps,” Trump told the global conference. “After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did it. We gave it back. But how ungrateful are they now?”
Wallace noted the U.S. president also confused “Greenland” with “Iceland” a total of four times while harassing the international community for its ignorance.
“So, with all of the money we expend, with all of the blood, sweat and tears, I don't know that they'd be there for us. They're not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you. I mean, our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So, Iceland’s already cost us a lot of money. But that dip is peanuts compared to what it's gone up,” Trump said, referring to the Denmark island territory of Greenland — which whacked U.S. markets when Trump began threatening a NATO invasion over the island’s ownership.
Brennen went on to blame Republicans for delivering a thing like Trump to the world stage.
“Many of us are … not just appalled and ashamed, but also just so puzzled at how so many individuals within the Republican Party, within Congress, continue to allow Donald Trump to do this … to the detriment of U.S. national security,” said Brennen.
See the video below.