Rebel News Podcast - January 23, 2026


EZRA LEVANT ｜ Davos reveals how far Canada has drifted from press freedom


Episode Stats


Length

31 minutes

Words per minute

166.32901

Word count

5,227

Sentence count

453

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged

Hate speech

6

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Rebel News returns from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with a look back at the day-to-day of our time in the Swiss ski resort, and a look ahead to what's in store for the rest of the week.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Shame on you, you sensorious bug! 0.85
00:00:30.000 Oh, hi, everybody. I'm recording this just before 11 p.m. at night.
00:00:42.000 We're still working. We get up very early in the morning, as you know.
00:00:45.500 We take a train from the town of Closters to Davos.
00:00:48.980 Then we spend the day walking up and down the promenade looking for VVIPs and oligarchs to talk to.
00:00:54.880 Then, basically, at sunset, we do the reverse.
00:00:57.520 We come back to the town we're in called Closters.
00:01:00.800 This is our Airbnb.
00:01:03.140 And the lads just edit.
00:01:05.900 We grab a bite of lunch or dinner, rather.
00:01:09.100 And all the stories that we recorded during the day, the same guys who videotaped them now edit them
00:01:16.120 and send them back to Toronto, where at our office we upload them to the web.
00:01:19.500 So it's a whole busy process.
00:01:21.240 I was talking to a team, and I think this Davos mission is the hardest of all the missions we do.
00:01:26.440 We go to some exotic places sometimes at Rebel News, but this isn't just a very far flight away, so we're all jet lagged.
00:01:33.780 It's physically strenuous.
00:01:35.700 You're doing a lot of waiting, which is standing around, and then you're basically running to catch up with the oligarchy spot on the street.
00:01:43.700 The cameramen have to run backwards.
00:01:47.000 And even, I mean, I hop and puff because I'm not in great shape, but also when you're trying to talk while running, I don't know.
00:01:54.100 It's actually a pretty exhausting thing.
00:01:55.980 I think we're all looking forward to going home.
00:01:57.860 But we had a lot of success, not just today, but over the past few days.
00:02:03.140 And, you know, I've always said that the World Economic Forum has no official power.
00:02:08.080 It doesn't pass laws, for example, but it has enormous influence.
00:02:12.340 That is, the ideas that are generated here are widely adopted and shared by World Economic Forum members.
00:02:18.820 All sorts of quasi-governmental things happen, lobbying, schmoozing for contracts, meetings beyond the gaze of the media.
00:02:27.260 Because when you have meetings in Parliament or Congress, there's a record of them, there's minutes, there's a transcript, there's a lobbyist registry, a foreign agent registry.
00:02:37.960 There's so many things that are checks and balances, and you have an independent press snooping around, making sure nothing untoward is happening.
00:02:45.280 None of that is the case at Davos.
00:02:46.960 Well, at least we are independent journalists, even though we're given no official access to it.
00:02:52.860 There are a few other citizen journalists here, and I think it's fun to see them because it would be too depressing if we were literally the only ones.
00:02:59.560 But going to the World Economic Forum is pretty much a rebel news franchise, if I may call it that, that our people love.
00:03:07.180 And there's a reason for that, is we come as prepared as we can be to ask tough questions to people from a whole different range of walks of life.
00:03:16.180 And over the past few days, Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland were very high on our list.
00:03:21.960 Lots of other little people, I don't mean little people, little stories, little interviews along the way.
00:03:26.380 But as I was remarking to my colleagues here, and I think I mentioned on the show yesterday, it's sort of crazy that we have to fly halfway across the planet in order to interview our own country's MPs.
00:03:37.700 In one day, I talked to Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, Francois-Philippe Champagne, and Melanie Jolie, or at least in the space of 24 hours, which is more access to rebel news it's allowed to have of our government in 10 years.
00:03:51.440 And it's insane, and it's a reminder that we are not normal as a country.
00:03:56.000 We have restrictions on our press that are not normal, that are not normal.
00:03:59.640 I mean, another thing, you saw when I was walking or running down the street talking to Chrystia Freeland, she said, oh, stop harassing me, you're a Putin spy, or whatever she said.
00:04:09.440 I could ignore her, and the police were somewhat alarmed.
00:04:13.260 They pulled me over when we were done the interview.
00:04:16.420 But after we just showed them our ID and they made some phone calls, they said, okay, you can go, just, you know, take it easy.
00:04:21.840 And if we had been in Canada, we would for sure have been arrested, possibly taken to jail, handcuffed, and most likely charged with some offense.
00:04:32.860 The fact that the police here just said, hey, just make sure everything's okay.
00:04:36.360 Like, they were, you probably saw that question I asked the police.
00:04:41.200 I said, I support freedom of speech, do you?
00:04:43.380 And he said, yes, of course.
00:04:44.740 Like, it was, he was almost slightly surprised I would have to ask.
00:04:48.240 Remember that clip?
00:04:49.020 Take a look.
00:04:49.640 Ezra Levant, a journalist doing journalism.
00:04:52.740 Okay, we need an ID now.
00:04:54.080 I'll show you an ID now.
00:04:55.300 Yes?
00:04:56.860 I believe in freedom of speech.
00:04:58.560 Do you?
00:04:59.300 Yes, of course.
00:05:00.040 Okay, good.
00:05:00.600 Then we're friends.
00:05:01.520 This is all being recorded, just for the record.
00:05:04.480 I'm more handsome now.
00:05:08.980 I'm more handsome than I used to be.
00:05:11.120 Thank you very much.
00:05:14.320 Sure, how are you?
00:05:19.480 Fine, thanks.
00:05:20.200 Good, how are you?
00:05:21.220 Nice to meet you.
00:05:22.140 I'm Ezra.
00:05:23.220 It's my friend Lincoln.
00:05:24.560 Hi.
00:05:25.160 How are you?
00:05:26.480 Good.
00:05:27.120 Good.
00:05:27.260 Good.
00:05:30.400 Okay, guys.
00:05:32.080 Have a nice day.
00:05:33.100 I'm sorry, but in none of my interactions with police in Canada over the past five or ten years,
00:05:54.780 is that script there even remotely possible that I would say, I believe in freedom of the press.
00:06:01.420 Do you?
00:06:01.780 Of course.
00:06:02.880 Like, it was almost like he was upset that I doubted him.
00:06:07.000 And sure enough, he was correct.
00:06:08.820 I can't imagine the Calgary police, the Edmonton police, the Ottawa police, the Toronto police,
00:06:12.400 the RCMP, the OPP, the Quebec police, the Certe to Montreal.
00:06:16.260 I can't imagine any of those police forces having as respectful an approach towards civil
00:06:22.100 liberties as the Swiss police.
00:06:23.620 I'm sort of jealous.
00:06:24.660 It was interesting because, of course, Donald Trump was here and his speech, his 90-minute
00:06:28.440 speech dominated, his presence here dominated.
00:06:31.860 Mark Carney gave a speech that was well-received by World Economic Forum delegates.
00:06:35.840 But as I tweeted, you know, it's a nice speech, very poetic, but how about read that out at the
00:06:42.620 Algomas Steel Mill in Sault Ste.
00:06:45.620 Marie?
00:06:46.140 How about read that out in one of the car factories in the greater Toronto area?
00:06:50.740 When you're losing jobs because you can't get a deal with the United States because you're
00:06:55.920 constantly picking ideological fights, sure, giving a lovely speech about, hey, let's
00:07:01.020 all rally together against the big bag in the United States, you'll get an applause.
00:07:04.880 Absolutely.
00:07:05.360 You'll get a round of applause.
00:07:06.420 And I talked to the rapper, Will.i.am, who really loved Mark Carney's speech.
00:07:12.420 And I like Will.i.am.
00:07:13.680 He was in the band, The Black Eyed Peas, and I really enjoyed talking with him.
00:07:17.440 But he's not a normal Canadian looking for work. 0.97
00:07:21.200 He's a zillionaire rock star who travels the world.
00:07:24.520 So he has the luxury of being inspired by Mark Carney's poetry.
00:07:28.820 The rest of Canadians have to live in a country where food inflation is amongst the highest
00:07:34.420 in the G7, where our economy is weak, where the per capita GDP is weak in part due to mass
00:07:41.400 immigration.
00:07:42.160 We have a lot of problems and sort of daydreaming about, well, what if Canada was super duper
00:07:46.840 strong?
00:07:47.940 Well, we're not really.
00:07:49.180 And we can't replace the United States as our market.
00:07:51.780 We can't become our own market.
00:07:54.260 It's just not, you know, 80% of our exports go to the US.
00:07:57.140 We can't.
00:07:58.820 You know, we can't find a replacement for those sales within Canada.
00:08:02.560 It may sound good on paper, but it cannot happen.
00:08:07.000 Militarily, same thing.
00:08:08.780 First of all, don't believe the statistics that Canada is ramping up on military spending.
00:08:13.320 They're doing that by calling certain bureaucratic spending military spending.
00:08:17.800 It's an accounting trick.
00:08:19.140 But even if it were true, Canada simply can never match the United States militarily.
00:08:25.260 And we shouldn't try to.
00:08:27.080 Rather, we should try to be good allies and hammer things out behind closed doors, not
00:08:31.520 fight in public.
00:08:32.860 Now, Donald Trump fights in public.
00:08:34.340 But Mark Carney, in his own way, has been continuously prickling and poking the United States.
00:08:41.040 And I think it's for very suspicious reasons.
00:08:45.040 I think it's because he wants the United States to poke back.
00:08:48.100 So there's a wave of anti-Americanism that Mark Carney can ride into a majority government.
00:08:53.660 Oh, my God, we have a crisis.
00:08:55.220 The Americans are out of control. 0.99
00:08:56.380 We need a snap election now. 0.77
00:08:57.560 Give me a majority government.
00:08:59.000 I'm the only one who can take on the evil Donald Trump.
00:09:01.400 That's basically how he won his first election.
00:09:04.060 Anyways, it's been a bit exhausting.
00:09:06.180 I'm a little bit tuckered myself, although I love these trips.
00:09:08.640 I hope you've enjoyed them, too.
00:09:12.280 Like I say, it's amazing how many people you can just approach at the World Economic Forum.
00:09:17.600 There are a few bodyguards.
00:09:20.420 There are some bodyguards, especially around some fancy, super fancy VIPs.
00:09:25.040 But even then, you can still talk to the people.
00:09:27.180 No one's going to arrest you just for talking to them.
00:09:29.700 We can only dream.
00:09:31.120 Without further ado, here's a compilation of some of the videos we put out today.
00:09:35.380 Take a look.
00:09:36.180 Larry, how are you doing this year in the spirit of dialogue?
00:09:42.600 Can we have a conversation this year?
00:09:46.600 Are you out for a conversation this year?
00:09:47.920 What about the spirit of dialogue, sir?
00:09:49.500 Did you mean it, or was that another lie?
00:09:52.240 Obviously, since last year, you've been, I guess, promoted to the co-chair.
00:09:56.460 Is that because if you want a job done right, you might as well do it yourself?
00:10:00.200 Last year, you took photos of us, sir.
00:10:03.100 What did you do with those photos?
00:10:04.440 Why are you so quiet?
00:10:08.520 What does the spirit of dialogue actually mean, Larry?
00:10:10.740 Does it mean anything?
00:10:11.740 Is it like pretending you care about the carbon footprint coming here on a private jet?
00:10:16.080 Why is your bodyguard pushing me into the street, sir?
00:10:18.700 I'm just asking you to keep your distance.
00:10:20.140 Excuse me, sir.
00:10:20.960 Watch the baby.
00:10:21.440 Why was the would-be assassin of Donald Trump in one of your corporate videos, sir?
00:10:28.300 Isn't that a bit weird?
00:10:29.360 Do you feel any responsibility as a Jew in the current climate, where there's a rise in
00:10:35.680 anti-Semitism and people blame Jews for everything, saying they want to control the world, and
00:10:41.000 when they need evidence, they point to you?
00:10:43.100 You're the example every anti-Semite gives, and it's hard to fight.
00:10:49.120 Do you feel any responsibility for that?
00:10:54.080 Don't touch my mic, mate.
00:10:55.420 Keep your distance.
00:10:56.140 Why are your bodyguards such thugs, sir?
00:10:58.820 Isn't that the true Larry Fink?
00:11:00.800 You have all this BS about conversations and dialogue, but underneath it, you're a thug.
00:11:06.400 Spirit of dialogue.
00:11:09.280 Spirit of dialogue.
00:11:11.360 This is what it looks like here in Davos.
00:11:14.060 How do you feel about Donald Trump saying you can no longer buy up residential homes and
00:11:19.320 rent them out for profit?
00:11:21.140 Did you talk to him about that?
00:11:23.060 Do you agree with him that you've been predatory in your pricing for residential houses in America?
00:11:29.700 Have you consolidated power by...
00:11:32.100 Have you consolidated power at WEF now that you're the co-chair?
00:11:37.060 What did you do with Klaus Schwab?
00:11:38.700 What did he do wrong?
00:11:44.600 The spirit of dialogue.
00:11:46.900 This is it.
00:11:48.060 Welcome to Davos 2026.
00:11:50.940 The WEF, the biggest pack of hypocrites, evil hypocrites like Larry Fink, who tell us how
00:11:58.220 we've got to live when it comes to your carbon footprint.
00:12:01.220 You've got to eat bugs, but old mate here gets to fly in his private jet.
00:12:06.400 And when that one got tired, he's moved on to the spirit of dialogue.
00:12:10.920 Now we've got to talk to opposing voices.
00:12:14.200 Just like this.
00:12:16.100 It means being surrounded by your goons.
00:12:19.400 This year he's not taking photos of us.
00:12:21.100 But just as quiet.
00:12:22.700 No shame.
00:12:24.200 What's your next project, Larry?
00:12:31.400 Your silence says everything.
00:12:32.980 You know that.
00:12:35.500 Why do you suddenly not care about climate change here at WEF?
00:12:38.520 Why does it seem like nothing here is about carbon footprint?
00:12:45.140 Is that because the AI data centers kind of destroyed that narrative?
00:12:52.560 Will you admit that it was all a scam?
00:12:54.480 Why do you force DEI on the companies in which you invest?
00:13:00.360 Isn't that putting your own ideology ahead of shareholder rate of return?
00:13:04.920 Isn't your fiduciary to get the best?
00:13:07.000 Your fiduciary duty to get the best rate of return instead of imposing your ideology on
00:13:12.420 the companies you invest in?
00:13:13.900 Are you still pushing ESG?
00:13:17.000 I see it everywhere.
00:13:20.620 What score do you think you get this year?
00:13:23.540 What's your social score?
00:13:26.160 Oh, everything.
00:13:27.500 Everything.
00:13:28.300 You've got fans everywhere, Larry.
00:13:30.300 When was the last time you flew commercials, sir?
00:13:32.720 Or is that just for the little people?
00:13:34.280 What are you thinking about that?
00:13:37.280 Is BlackRock and WEF just the same?
00:13:40.280 Just the one organization now?
00:13:41.760 Larry, final word to the world.
00:13:45.440 This is your chance.
00:13:47.040 This is your chance.
00:13:48.780 Larry, no, you don't want to say anything?
00:13:51.980 In the spirit of dialogue, there you go.
00:13:55.200 What do you think of the defections to Reform UK?
00:13:58.400 Would you ever consider defecting?
00:14:02.640 Where do you live most of the time?
00:14:04.320 Are you in California these days?
00:14:07.580 Richie's Keir Starmer doing a good job.
00:14:09.340 Mr. Sunak, do you like Keir Starmer because he makes your poll numbers look good in retrospect?
00:14:18.180 Do you think Nigel Farage will make you a better Prime Minister than you?
00:14:23.480 What's your biggest regret as Prime Minister?
00:14:26.660 Richie?
00:14:27.360 Biggest regret?
00:14:28.060 What do you think his biggest regret is?
00:14:32.200 Are you here in an official capacity, Richie?
00:14:37.520 Are you trying to find support for the Conservatives, which look like they're dying?
00:14:40.740 How's it looking this year, boss?
00:14:47.700 That's an interesting question.
00:14:49.660 Interesting question.
00:14:51.640 Much more difficult.
00:14:53.120 Much more challenging.
00:14:54.980 Much more nuanced.
00:14:57.100 Very, very difficult this year.
00:14:59.260 Try a bit.
00:15:00.400 No, but that's very nice of you to offer.
00:15:02.120 Try a bit.
00:15:03.240 Well, thank you, Richard.
00:15:05.460 Very difficult this year.
00:15:07.540 And anybody who says that there's any simple or obvious or easy answers is a fool or an idiot or both.
00:15:16.060 It's a feast for journalists, though, isn't it?
00:15:22.120 I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that.
00:15:24.140 Well, there's so much to cover, so much to analyze and interpret.
00:15:27.440 Yeah, I agree with you on that.
00:15:29.080 Whether or not it's a time for us to do our jobs.
00:15:32.040 It's a time for us to earn our money.
00:15:34.100 It's a time for us to get serious about what's happening.
00:15:38.060 And I'm regretfully that there are no easy solutions.
00:15:42.000 I always remember John Major saying that to me once in an interview.
00:15:47.160 He said, if there are any easy answers, don't you think we'd have found them by now?
00:15:51.100 Do you think in some ways you're a bridge between the UK and the US because you've got a foot in both?
00:15:57.120 Oh, I think that's a very grand statement.
00:15:59.600 Well, I mean, you understand both sides.
00:16:01.820 And there's sometimes an ideological or philosophical divide.
00:16:05.780 I'll take you on that.
00:16:06.800 I agree with you on that.
00:16:07.540 Yes.
00:16:08.280 Having been covering transatlantic issues and transatlantic alliances and business for the last 35 years.
00:16:16.160 Yes.
00:16:16.840 Do I understand it more?
00:16:18.080 Who the hell knows?
00:16:19.280 You know, who the hell knows at the end of the day?
00:16:21.980 Do you think that some of Trump's challenges to the UK are just puffery or do you take them seriously?
00:16:31.040 Oh, you have to take them seriously.
00:16:33.440 Seriously or literally?
00:16:35.000 Maybe there's a difference.
00:16:36.000 There's a huge difference.
00:16:37.800 Look, just this morning I'm reading Scott Besant, US Treasury Secretary, is telling everybody to chill.
00:16:44.920 Right?
00:16:46.060 He's pretty chill himself.
00:16:47.640 Right.
00:16:47.840 But what does that mean in reality?
00:16:51.300 When you're actually, when the threat is actually being made, what does it actually mean?
00:16:56.300 How do you not take a threat seriously?
00:16:58.240 If you don't take it seriously and it transpires to blow up in your face, should you have taken it more seriously?
00:17:05.560 It's very easy to say, chill, don't take it seriously.
00:17:08.740 It's very easy to say, the president's not serious on this point or it's a negotiating position.
00:17:15.600 But the reality is, even if it is a negotiating position, what is the destruction of trust that's taken place as a result?
00:17:22.620 That's the problem.
00:17:23.920 There's a lot of truth there.
00:17:25.400 Now, I've got to keep moving.
00:17:26.520 Okay, well, this is nice to chat with you.
00:17:28.080 Go on.
00:17:28.540 You look like you need to have one of those for later.
00:17:31.560 Well, you know what, Richard?
00:17:32.520 It's very nice of you.
00:17:33.240 Thank you.
00:17:33.660 Thank you for that.
00:17:34.560 Take care of yourself.
00:17:38.720 I'll share mine with him.
00:17:39.760 I'll remind you guys you're scurvy.
00:17:41.540 Thanks, Richard.
00:17:42.400 Mr. Ryan, as for Levant, we spoke last year.
00:17:44.980 Do you think Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?
00:17:49.360 Every time I ask you these softball questions...
00:17:51.600 I don't do these interviews in a walk.
00:17:52.860 Yes, you do.
00:17:53.920 You just won't do it with me because I'm asking you questions you don't like.
00:17:58.260 What's a Republican doing at a globalist swamp like this anyways?
00:18:02.740 Are you here to watch Donald Trump?
00:18:04.560 Your front row seats?
00:18:07.340 This is a spirit of dialogue this year.
00:18:10.480 You're here every year, spirit of dialogue.
00:18:12.440 You're not really participating.
00:18:14.520 Or is it only dialogue for some?
00:18:16.600 See you later.
00:18:17.200 This is Paul Ryan.
00:18:17.700 He was a high-ranking congressman in the Republican Party.
00:18:27.160 He was actually on the presidential ticket, and he's been a bit pouty ever since Donald Trump won.
00:18:33.000 When I talked to him last year, he said the same thing.
00:18:35.680 I don't do interviews.
00:18:37.100 You're a politician.
00:18:38.680 Interviews are all you do.
00:18:40.040 He made a quick getaway, bravely running away.
00:18:44.440 For Rebel News, I'm Ezra Levan with my friend, Bobby Yamini.
00:18:48.220 Why are you so hostile to questions from the press?
00:18:50.680 Is it because I'm conservative?
00:18:52.180 I just don't get that about you, Paul.
00:18:54.940 Were you ever really a conservative?
00:18:56.640 Or were you maybe just a pre-lobbyist who's bloomed into a lobbyist?
00:19:04.400 This is your true self like a butterfly.
00:19:08.680 Are you still working out?
00:19:11.100 Watch yourself.
00:19:11.740 You're going to get...
00:19:12.420 Yeah.
00:19:13.140 The bench?
00:19:14.040 Yeah.
00:19:14.480 Great.
00:19:14.920 Thank you.
00:19:15.400 How do you think the World Economic Forum is reacting to Trump?
00:19:19.280 Because on the one hand...
00:19:20.640 We're all excited to have him here.
00:19:21.820 Obviously, he'll be the star of the show.
00:19:23.820 Are they going to push back on Greenland?
00:19:25.600 Who's they?
00:19:26.180 Well, NATO.
00:19:27.540 I mean, they sent one troop from the UK.
00:19:29.740 That's terrifying.
00:19:30.680 So, as Secretary Besson said just this morning in an open press avail,
00:19:35.820 no one wants a confrontation here.
00:19:37.640 But I wonder why the same people getting upset that the US has an interest in
00:19:42.300 buying Greenland fairly and squarely aren't upset that China and Russia are already there.
00:19:47.000 You know, they want American money for Ukraine,
00:19:49.860 but they don't want America to call the shots in Greenland.
00:19:53.080 I don't know.
00:19:53.780 Maybe you have to be European to understand how to reconcile that. 0.98
00:19:56.960 Well, it's well said.
00:19:57.840 And the other thing is we love our European allies.
00:20:01.160 The fact is they're still buying Russian oil four years,
00:20:04.400 nearly four years after the invasion of Ukraine.
00:20:06.480 So, as of last year, we were in for $350 billion.
00:20:11.760 Europe was in for about $100 billion.
00:20:13.400 Last time I looked at a map, Ukraine is in Europe.
00:20:15.620 So, obviously, many people mispredicted last year at WEF and then the Munich Security Conference
00:20:20.280 that President Trump was going to, quote, abandon Ukraine.
00:20:22.320 It has not gone that way at all.
00:20:24.480 He's been highly engaged.
00:20:25.660 He's trying to bring a peace there.
00:20:27.700 He's got his peace board signing an event in two days here.
00:20:31.440 Oh, good.
00:20:32.140 And so that's exciting.
00:20:34.280 And obviously, the president will be talking about Greenland as well,
00:20:36.820 because it is strategic for its minerals.
00:20:41.620 We have defense interests there.
00:20:44.780 And as the Arctic continues to melt, there's more passageways.
00:20:48.400 There's infrastructure concerns.
00:20:50.760 And the president wants to make sure that part of his legacy is bucking up the Western Hemisphere
00:20:55.440 and keeping, as you saw in Venezuela, and keeping China out.
00:20:59.520 We're from Canada, and some Canadians have been worried about what the Greenland approach to our country.
00:21:06.960 What would you have to say to ordinary Canadians?
00:21:09.820 Should they be worried?
00:21:11.240 What should they be doing?
00:21:14.680 Well, Canada is a great ally of the U.S., and President Trump is highly engaged with Carney.
00:21:23.360 Think about his trip to China.
00:21:25.300 He just went to China.
00:21:26.080 He just went to China.
00:21:26.800 I know it's – but Secretary Besson said just this morning in a forum I attended that he –
00:21:33.560 great, let Canada trade with China.
00:21:35.520 That's great.
00:21:37.020 But the fact is that we're all allies, and I think that there's always going to be –
00:21:42.680 people are always going to complain about President Trump because he has totally upended the elites
00:21:50.880 and the establishment order, and people like to strike back against that.
00:21:54.760 Last question.
00:21:55.740 You've been very generous with me.
00:21:57.020 Thank you for this.
00:21:58.220 The World Economic Forum is globalist.
00:22:00.140 There's lots of big socialists involved here.
00:22:02.360 It's very un-Trumpy.
00:22:04.620 Do you think he's going to sort of fire a few thunderbolts at the folks here?
00:22:08.360 What do you expect from his speech?
00:22:09.560 Can you get a little of this?
00:22:11.840 He's going to throw a couple of thunderbolts.
00:22:13.580 I think he's going to challenge the globalist elite order.
00:22:19.500 And remember, if you're President Trump, and two years ago people were promising, promising, if not hoping,
00:22:25.860 you'd never again be in the White House.
00:22:27.520 In fact, you'd be in the Big House.
00:22:29.340 You get to swagger into Davos, and you get to talk about all the great direct foreign investment
00:22:35.300 that he's attracted $18 trillion and counting in his first year.
00:22:38.700 He's going to talk about making housing more affordable and accessible to Americans.
00:22:43.060 He's going to talk about, obviously, economic security, national security,
00:22:47.560 him trying to get more trade deals, more peace deals.
00:22:50.660 He will talk about China.
00:22:51.860 He will talk about Ukraine.
00:22:53.020 He will talk about Iran and Israel.
00:22:55.240 But he's also going to talk about cooperation.
00:22:58.240 And, yes, he has Greenland very much on his mind.
00:23:01.200 And it shouldn't surprise anyone because China's already there. 0.94
00:23:05.960 And look what China did in Latin America. 0.80
00:23:09.640 They basically promised all kinds of money and infrastructure and other goodies to some of these countries
00:23:15.980 if they would just not deal with Taiwan.
00:23:19.000 And then that just all disappears when Maduro is extracted.
00:23:22.480 Right.
00:23:23.080 Thank you for this.
00:23:24.740 If I were the Cubans, I'd feel good, too, because the Cuban people.
00:23:29.320 Because remember what President Trump did?
00:23:30.700 He signed the executive order just a few short days after Maduro was taken out of Venezuela,
00:23:37.200 that there'll be a fund for the oil profits for the Venezuelan people.
00:23:41.700 And that's important, too.
00:23:43.020 Thank you.
00:23:43.640 Thanks very much.
00:23:44.680 Vezo Sobat says hello from Canada.
00:23:46.960 God bless Canada.
00:23:47.880 Thank you very much.
00:23:48.540 Bye-bye, guys.
00:23:49.080 Thanks.
00:23:49.280 What do you think Evan's doing?
00:23:51.080 I hope he's doing well.
00:23:52.540 I love Evan.
00:23:53.220 Do you follow him at all?
00:23:54.080 Not closely, but I mean, he's a friend, you know, obviously.
00:23:57.980 We miss him from GZERO Media, but he's a fantastic guy.
00:24:01.480 How about the Prime Minister himself?
00:24:03.760 How do you grade him?
00:24:04.540 It was his week, right?
00:24:05.540 It was really good.
00:24:05.820 And how do you think he did?
00:24:06.680 Yeah, I gotta go.
00:24:07.240 Okay, cheers.
00:24:07.900 Thank you, man.
00:24:08.020 Thank you, man.
00:24:08.040 Thank you, man.
00:24:08.240 Thank you, man.
00:24:08.540 Thank you, man.
00:24:08.640 Thank you, man.
00:24:09.640 Thank you, man.
00:24:10.140 That's Ian Bremner.
00:24:11.140 He's the boss of the Eurasia Group, which is a lobby group and a government relations group
00:24:18.520 based in the States.
00:24:20.740 Incredibly, it's where Evan Solomon worked, Jerry Butts, the former senior advisor to Justin Trudeau.
00:24:29.200 And it's where, I think, until this day, Mark Carney's wife works.
00:24:33.680 The first question I asked him was, are you part of Canada's cabinet?
00:24:37.480 Because, really, half of the senior decision makers in Canada's cabinet work for that American.
00:24:45.040 He's a friendly guy, which I think masks just how powerful he is, at least in our country.
00:24:50.960 He's doing extremely well.
00:24:53.100 We have defied the skeptics and critics because the university, four years after its foundation,
00:25:02.300 is thriving.
00:25:03.060 And anybody who visits our campus can see what fantastic students we have
00:25:09.360 and what a great atmosphere of intellectual freedom we've created.
00:25:13.880 I'm hugely proud of the University of Austin and especially of the students.
00:25:18.460 Right now, it's sort of an entrepreneurial place.
00:25:20.680 The students themselves are building the university.
00:25:23.240 What do you expect it to look like in 25 years when there's a bit more of a culture that's set?
00:25:28.180 I think even sooner than 25 years, in just a few years,
00:25:31.880 we'll be a much larger institution.
00:25:34.160 I've often said we have, as a role model, the early years of the University of Chicago,
00:25:39.520 which grew extraordinarily rapidly in student numbers in its first 10 years.
00:25:44.880 Ten years from now, I hope we'll have thousands of students
00:25:47.680 and we'll occupy a larger footprint in downtown Austin.
00:25:52.880 What's the number one challenge you face?
00:25:54.700 Any startup is a challenge, but to do a startup in academia is really difficult
00:26:00.440 because there's a lot of skepticism from the established institutions.
00:26:08.080 But the established institutions have just failed so badly in the last 10 years
00:26:12.020 that they'll all benefit from our kind of competition.
00:26:15.700 We're trying to reinvent the university, reinvent governance,
00:26:18.620 create new rules around the way a university works.
00:26:22.200 And I think within 10 years, people will see that we've been a force for good,
00:26:26.220 not just in Austin, but across America.
00:26:28.200 I hope you'll allow foreign applicants as well from Canada one day.
00:26:31.940 Well, we were constrained by the accreditors and not allowed to do that at first,
00:26:36.540 but that is about to change.
00:26:38.240 Outstanding.
00:26:38.720 It's great news.
00:26:39.540 Yep.
00:26:39.740 Thanks for taking the time with me.
00:26:41.000 My pleasure.
00:26:41.420 All the best.
00:26:41.760 Good luck.
00:26:42.280 Thank you.
00:26:42.660 Thanks so much.
00:26:43.160 Thank you.
00:26:44.480 How are you doing, sir?
00:26:46.520 Hey.
00:26:47.420 You're from the Bank of Palestine?
00:26:49.400 Yes.
00:26:49.980 What are you guys doing in Davos?
00:26:52.280 Networking.
00:26:53.540 What do you want to achieve?
00:26:55.960 Investments, networking.
00:26:58.780 What do you guys do to ensure that money doesn't flow on to terrorists in Gaza or the West Bank?
00:27:05.200 Follow KYC compliance procedures.
00:27:07.840 What are those?
00:27:09.100 What procedures exactly?
00:27:10.700 International standards.
00:27:11.780 Are you confident that none of your money goes to Hamas or Hamas-affiliated groups?
00:27:18.520 Of course.
00:27:20.660 Compliance is king.
00:27:23.680 Do you think there's going to be peace in the Middle East this year? 0.99
00:27:26.380 That's what we work for.
00:27:27.740 Everybody should work for it, inshallah.
00:27:29.640 Thank you.
00:27:30.200 Mr Radha, as relevant from Canada.
00:27:32.360 Is there financial times?
00:27:33.380 I have already done my rebel yesterday.
00:27:35.120 Is there financial times?
00:27:36.900 I'm from Canada, though.
00:27:38.100 I know very little about Australia, but I wonder...
00:27:41.340 You know plenty.
00:27:42.080 I wonder if you have views on...
00:27:43.460 I know the MO.
00:27:44.860 Well, actually, I have totally different questions than my colleague.
00:27:47.460 Oh, no, they won't be.
00:27:48.780 They absolutely are.
00:27:49.660 You're just a rebellious guy.
00:27:52.540 Give me a word on the President Trump's speech.
00:27:54.940 Just give me your take on it.
00:27:57.220 Well, all I can say if you're from Canada is as follows.
00:28:00.740 Oh, Canada.
00:28:03.240 Hey, maybe you have a diplomatic future in Ottawa.
00:28:05.400 It's very cold there compared to Washington.
00:28:08.180 Well, this is quite...
00:28:09.200 This is quite summery here in Davos.
00:28:11.800 This is training.
00:28:12.900 Training for Ottawa.
00:28:14.140 Or maybe, do you think being appointed to nuke in Greenland would be a hardship posting these days?
00:28:19.740 Yeah, nice try.
00:28:20.720 I love you guys from Rebel.
00:28:22.160 You're permanently rebellious.
00:28:23.980 Well, thank you, Ambassador.
00:28:24.980 Nice to meet you.
00:28:25.760 Thank you.
00:28:26.260 Bye-bye.
00:28:27.180 Great.
00:28:27.440 Nice to see you here.
00:28:28.280 Obviously, you're here because of Trump's visit.
00:28:30.300 Correct.
00:28:30.800 The President will come in here in a couple of hours.
00:28:32.700 I'm really looking forward to his remarks.
00:28:34.200 And I was going to talk about how the U.S. is back in business and we're number one.
00:28:38.440 And it can always be a couple of surprises in what the President speaks on today.
00:28:41.700 I bet.
00:28:42.120 Now, we've been coming to Davos for five years in a row.
00:28:45.180 And being anti-Trump and anti-Elon Musk is something that I think is the consensus here.
00:28:50.220 So you've got oil and water that are going to be mixed today.
00:28:52.900 What's going to happen?
00:28:53.980 Do you think there's going to be people converted to Trump's way of thinking?
00:28:57.620 Do you think they'll rebel against him?
00:28:58.920 What's your hunch about the delegates here, the VVIPs?
00:29:01.200 Yeah, I'd push back on that a bit and say that even last night as I was walking around
00:29:05.640 my first night here in Davos, there were a lot of people who are very interested in what
00:29:09.260 the administration is doing, what the President's going to have to say.
00:29:12.340 And in particular, the fact that the U.S. is still the best place in the world to do business.
00:29:16.980 That's the place where all the capital is moving to.
00:29:19.100 And everything that the President does becomes a top of the full front page story the next
00:29:23.200 day.
00:29:23.680 So everyone wants to hear it.
00:29:24.660 By the way, there are a lot of Trump supporters here, way more than I would have thought.
00:29:27.840 Well, that's good to hear.
00:29:29.120 Last question for you.
00:29:30.260 I know you have a freedom of speech background.
00:29:32.540 You've worked to make social media more free.
00:29:35.620 Are you worried about the trend in Europe to become more censorious and this battle with
00:29:40.020 the U.S. over platforms like X?
00:29:42.700 Absolutely.
00:29:43.340 So obviously we see what's going on with Ofcom in the U.K., which is a massive issue.
00:29:47.880 And I know the Vice President and the President have both spoken out on this, but very concerned
00:29:51.780 about the EU and where they're going in their efforts to punish some of the American tech
00:29:56.180 companies.
00:29:57.100 This isn't done yet.
00:29:58.120 This is going to continue to be a fight.
00:29:59.700 I don't think that the bureaucratic oligarchs in the EU are ever going to stop until free
00:30:04.920 speech is extinguished.
00:30:06.780 But you can count on the Americans to fight that every step of the way.
00:30:09.840 Great to see you here.
00:30:10.580 Thanks for your time.
00:30:11.560 My bandmate, co-founder of the Black Eyed Peas, best friend.
00:30:15.120 You know what?
00:30:16.760 One line I've loved for 20 years is, I'm so 2008, you're so 2000 and late.
00:30:23.680 So what we were talking about back then was AI.
00:30:28.340 And the video that came right after that was a song called I'm going to be rocking that
00:30:31.920 body that, you know, low key, high key predicts like text to music before there was LLMs and
00:30:38.300 diffusion models.
00:30:39.840 And I learned.
00:30:40.160 We'd be rocking, rocking.
00:30:41.440 Yeah.
00:30:41.760 Yeah.
00:30:42.080 We'd go boom, boom.
00:30:45.720 Well, that's our show for the day.
00:30:47.240 Until next time, on behalf of all of us here in Davos, Switzerland and around the world,
00:30:52.760 to you at home, good night and keep fighting for freedom.
00:30:55.560 Thank you.