Trump previews Gaza Board of Peace amid fraught Davos plans

President Donald Trump used a nearly two-hour White House briefing to tally his administration's first-year achievements, reprise contentious foreign-policy positions and preview a diplomatic initiative for Gaza ahead of a high-stakes trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In the James Brady Press Briefing Room, reporters were handed a 31-page packet labeled "365 WINS IN 365 DAYS" as Trump thumbed through the pages, repeatedly citing executive orders and administration actions as evidence of success. At one point he said he "could stand here and read it for a week and we wouldn't be finished." Early portions of the appearance were widely described by journalists in the room as meandering and low-energy as the president shifted among domestic and international themes.

Trump highlighted law-and-order measures and economic arguments against the prior administration, mentioning increased law enforcement in Washington and a suite of policies aimed at lowering inflationary pressures and tightening immigration enforcement. He held up photographs and short descriptions of people he said had been arrested in Minnesota, calling them "Minnesota worst of the worst." In a moment that underscored the briefing's uneven tone, he dropped sheets of paper onto the briefing-room carpet after a binder clip snapped, quipping that the clip "didn't hurt him" and adding, "I would have acted like nothing happened as my finger fell off."

Foreign policy occupied much of the briefing. Trump reprised criticisms of the United Nations, voiced renewed emphasis on Greenland and what administration officials framed as the need for the United States to secure strategic interests in the Arctic. That posture has already strained relations with European allies and NATO partners amid disputes over tariffs and trade responses.

Most notably, Trump previewed an initiative he called a "Board of Peace" for Gaza that the administration intended to raise in Davos as a centerpiece of its peace-making credentials. Details released at the briefing were sparse; administration officials indicated a fuller announcement was expected during the trip. Diplomats and legal experts say any U.S.-led plan for Gaza will face immediate questions about international law, the roles of the United Nations, Israel and Palestinian authorities, and the necessity of regional buy-in for humanitarian and political viability.

The administration also signaled an unusually large U.S. presence at Davos, with a delegation that includes several Cabinet secretaries and a schedule built around meetings with executives and bilateral encounters in the conference complex. Critics and foreign leaders were expected at the forum, among them Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whose leadership faces U.S. sanctions over the handling of recent protests. Mirek Dušek, a forum managing director in charge of programming, said the discussion will come "at a very important moment" as geopolitics becomes "more competitive, more contested."

Domestic and international critics have framed the Davos appearance as an effort to marry business-friendly economics with an assertive foreign policy that allies find unpredictable. An unnamed advocacy group condemned what it called a "pro-billionaire agenda," citing tax cuts for the wealthy, gains to AI-related stocks and moves to shield large corporations from new taxes.

As Trump moves to the Swiss Alps, the brevity of policy detail at the briefing and the president's combative posture toward institutions and allies suggest that his Davos address will be judged not only on its promises for Gaza but on whether it reassures partners that the United States will pursue complex global problems through established multilateral channels. Press photographs from the briefing were credited to photographer Alex Brandon.