Bern's role greater than known Keller-Sutter is said to have personally invited Trump to the WEF
Donald Trump is making headlines with his announced trip to Davos - but according to research by the Handelszeitung newspaper, the former president did not take any action on his own initiative. The invitation probably came directly from the WEF - and possibly also from Karin Keller-Sutter.
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- US President Donald Trump is planning to attend the WEF 2026 in Davos, which initially seemed like a spontaneous self-invitation.
- However, research shows that Trump was officially invited by the WEF, like many previous participants, and had already attended virtually in 2025.
- In addition, President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter is said to have personally invited Trump to attend the UN summit in New York, despite recent strained relations.
As soon as the news was published, a tremor went through the media landscape: US President Donald Trump wants to travel to snowy Davos at the end of January - to the World Economic Forum (WEF) of all places, which has always staged itself as a stage for globalization and climate protection. But the self-proclaimed "deal-maker" is said to have invited himself to the WEF 2026 without further ado, according to headlines in CH Media newspapers - in the style of the unpredictable showmaster in the White House.
But was that really the case? Did Trump catapult himself onto the WEF table on his own authority?
Invitation probably came weeks ago
Research by the Handelszeitung paints a different picture: the US president was apparently invited - officially by the WEF. It is customary for participants from the previous year's meeting to be contacted again and asked to attend.
Trump, who was connected via video link from Washington in January 2025 and spoke highly of himself, saying that "our country will soon be more prosperous and the planet more peaceful than ever before", also received such an invitation.
A discreet diplomatic advance
But that's not all: according to two independent sources, President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter was also personally involved - and at the highest level, writes the Handelszeitung. On the fringes of the UN summit in New York at the end of September, she reportedly invited Trump directly - head of state to head of state.
A remarkable step, considering that the tone between Bern and Washington has been rather frosty of late, especially after Trump's harsh criticism in the summer. Keller-Sutter is now being conciliatory. According to the Handelszeitung article, the Department of Finance responded briefly to a request for comment: "We have no comment to make on this matter."
