'Madman' Trump is 'making things even worse' for US in Davos: analysis

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Switzerland's Federal President Guy Parmelin and Switzerland's Economy Minister Federal councillor Karin Keller-Sutter in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. Laurent Gillieron/Pool via REUTERS

MS NOW opinion editor Zeeshan Aleem says President Donald Trump may be playing his typical “Madman Theory” routine at Davos, but it’s not working in the way he expects.

“President Donald Trump refused to rule out using force to seize Greenland, and then days later said, ‘I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.’ He has announced that he’s slapping tariffs on European countries that have opposed the U.S. taking over the Danish territory. And he recently implied in a text message to Norway’s prime minister that not winning the Nobel Peace Prize he believes he was due frees him up to attack the United States’ allies,” Aleem said.

“In that head-spinning series of comments, Trump appears to be embracing “madman theory” hardball tactics in his imperialistic agenda. But while there is at least a debate on whether acting like a madman can be useful against one’s foes, acting in such a way with one’s friends is as alarming as it is foolish.”

Aleem argues the president’s antics are actually “bound to undermine” U.S. global primacy.

“Trump might think he’s being slick, but he’s steering the U.S. into dangerous territory that differs categorically from playing mind games with adversaries. Implying that he could seize territory from allies by force is disastrous for the Western order and the NATO alliance, destroying the fundamental currency of all social compacts: trust.”

International leaders typically treat “a deal as a deal,” said Aleem, and when friends shake hands they feel “it must mean something.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen implied as much on Tuesday in response to Trump’s Greenland-connected tariff retaliation, claiming if the U.S. president insists on using coercion against allies to reset global maps, then he deals permanent damage to a long-lived security relationship that keep the U.S. safer, and its adversaries at bay.

“NATO would be in tatters, and great powers around the world hostile to the U.S. would take notice,” Aleem said. Trump would also damage his own ability to negotiate trade or security deals with other countries, “because he can’t be trusted to keep his word.”

And Trump’s mentality is making “making things even worse,” said Aleem, citing the president’s refusal to take a call from Norway’s Prime Minister because “your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Norway’s government doesn’t even award the Nobel Peace Prize, said Aleem. An independent committee does that. And Norway doesn’t possess Greenland: That’s Denmark. Plus, not getting a peace prize doesn’t give a would-be imperialist the right to use his military to take something that doesn’t belong to him.

“One could not blame European leaders for thinking Trump might be a madman and isn’t just posing as one,” said Aleem. “Even if Trump gives up on his mission to annex Greenland, he has already degraded the U.S.-European relationship to a new low. The U.S.’ European allies will undoubtedly take note that Trump appears erratic and hostile and, in the wake of his stunning violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty, they would be justified in worrying that he could be capable of anything — not just with adversaries, but with them as well."

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