By Daniel Orton and Jordan King
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A glowing “No Kings” message lit up a mountainside in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday night, hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled address to the World Economic Forum.
NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander shared a photo of the words on X from the annual event that sees world leaders, finance ministers and billionaire CEOs descend on the Alpine resort town to attend high-level discussions on global economic trends, climate policy, and geopolitical challenges shaping the year ahead.
Newsweek has contacted the “No Kings” group and the White House, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
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Follow Newsweek's live blog for all the latest updates from Davos
Why It Matters
The "No Kings" movement—one of the largest protest campaigns in U.S. history—was born out of opposition to what organizers call authoritarian overreach and the erosion of democratic norms under Trump. Rooted in the principle that “America has no kings,” the movement champions accountability and nonviolent resistance, with millions joining nationwide demonstrations since 2025.
This latest message comes amid what is already expected to be a tense summit, against the backdrop of Trump's push to acquire Greenland and subsequent threats of tariffs on U.S. allies, which have reshaped the gathering’s agenda.
What To Know
Photos of the “No Kings” message went viral on X on Tuesday evening in Davos, ahead of Trump’s planned speech on Wednesday. The U.S.-based protest group had not claimed responsibility for the display as of early Wednesday.
The president set off for Davos on Tuesday but had to turn back mid-flight, after Air Force One experienced a minor electrical fault. He then boarded a replacement plane and set off again to the event, and is expected to be some three hours later than scheduled, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump has already made Greenland a focal point ahead of the forum, posting memes and AI-generated images appearing to claim territorial sovereignty over Greenland and Canada and sharing private texts from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
He is also expected to center his speech on domestic economics, focusing on housing-market reforms, including proposals to restrict large institutional home purchases and to direct government-backed entities to buy mortgage bonds to lower borrowing costs, according to Investopedia and the Associated Press.
On top of this Trump will likely use the address to broaden the “Board of Peace” beyond Gaza, with a draft charter giving the president veto power over all decisions his proposed new international body will make.
The theme for this year’s WEF, which nearly 3,000 people are attending, is “A Spirit of Dialogue,” tackling inequality, AI, geopolitics and trade frictions. The U.S. delegation includes Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday: “Let’s put it this way: It’s going to be a very interesting Davos.”
Mirek Dušek, a WEF managing director in charge of programming, said: “It’s really going to be a discussion at a very important moment ... geopolitics is changing.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s address is set for 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. local time (8:30 to 9:15 a.m. ET), according to the official WEF schedule.
Update, 01/21/2026, 5:19 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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