CNN’s Richard Quest wrote for iPaper that the second iteration of President Donald Trump’s “America First” movement has become synonymous with a sort of modern manifest destiny. However, he now sees some cracks forming in that coalition.
In an extensive interview with the New York Times last week, Trump said, “There is one thing: my own morality, my own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. I don’t need international law.”
Given what Trump has already done with Venezuelan and his escalating threats over Greenland, few believe Trump “is not serious.”
Quest recalled Trump’s past trips to Davos, where the ultra-wealthy fawned over him. “Back then, the WEF rolled out the red carpet more in hope than expectation, and Trump just about concealed his disdain for its elitist, intellectual trappings,” Quest recalled.
Now, the WEF appears to be “creaking under pressure of its own making.” The era of “international niceties” may be over.
"All of this begs an obvious question: if Davos is truly irrelevant, then why is Trump bothering to head up into the Swiss Alps at all? Based on his last visit, there is no doubt that he will get attention, and any long-time observer will tell you that alone can be incentive enough for Mr Trump. He could simply take the opportunity to rub delegates noses in their impotence, expand his 'Donroe doctrine,' and remind everyone that if they want a deal, they must get it on his terms – or else," Quest wrote.
Quest wants to see Trump courting those attendees again. He spoke to Fisher Investments CEO Ken Fisher, who said that 2025 was a better year for businesses outside the U.S. “This is a world where the world’s doing business around America, and sometimes in America,” he told Quest. “But the rest of the world is what’s leading the capital markets, not the United States.”
Yet cracks are forming around the MAGA Republican coalition, particularly when it comes to the Epstein files. Trump’s war against the Federal Reserve is sending traditional Republicans on Wall Street running for cover. Then there is the matter of Trump starting a possible war with Greenland after he invaded Venezuela, and his apparent willingness to contemplate conflict with multiple countries, including Iran. To make matters worse, the 2026 election is shaping up to be painful for Republicans.
Ultimately, Quest wants to see Trump go to Davos and get some deals done, or at the very least present some kind of plan.
Read the full column here.
