In his 2026 Davos address, President Trump argued that Europe’s economic stagnation is the result of a self-inflicted “civilizational erasure” driven by reliance on what he calls the “Green New Scam,” which he says has replaced affordable energy with costly and unreliable wind power.
He further asserted that unchecked mass migration has strained social infrastructure and altered the continent’s cultural identity, while a stifling regulatory environment and excessive government spending have suppressed the innovation needed to compete with the United States.
Finally, he accused European nations of freeloading on American security, arguing that their failure to meet NATO defense spending targets over the past 70 years has allowed them to avoid the true costs of national sovereignty at the expense of the American taxpayer.
Based on current economic data as of January 2026, the comparison supports Trump’s critique. While the United States is experiencing aggressive growth alongside widespread deregulation, Europe remains mired in what can best be described as stabilized stagnation.