The head of the Heritage Foundation confronted organizers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, challenging claims that the WEF protects democracy and calls so-called elites “part of the problem.” chanted.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts spoke from Davos, where he had been invited to speak on a panel at the World Economic Forum.
Roberts told reporters after his speech that he was somewhat shocked to receive an invitation to an annual gathering of world leaders and prominent globalists, but said he felt as though his voice was not heard and considered as a collective. He said he cherishes the opportunity to convey the voices of the forgotten people. Depends on attendees.
“Forgotten people are not just poor or working-class Americans of all ethnic backgrounds. As we have learned in recent years, there are many forgotten people. [who are] Small business owners. These are people who scraped together money and saved it,” he said, adding that many of them are often not political in nature.
“They all believe the same thing: The American Dream is disappearing from them.”
At WEF, Roberts spoke on a panel titled “What to Expect from a Potential Republican Administration,” which included former senators. Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, Gerald Baker of the Wall Street Journal, and Walter Russell Meade, a professor at Bard College, offered sharply contradictory views of most Davos participants. , which seemed to confuse the host.
At one point, host Sir Robin Niblett, a British international affairs expert, asked Roberts about former President Donald Trump's promise of “retaliation” if he returned to office, contradicting the World Economic Forum's defense of liberal democracy. , said it could be “overshadowed” by the president. A big name.
“It's ridiculous for you or anyone to describe Davos as 'defending liberal democracy,'” Roberts said.
“It's equally funny to use the word 'dictatorship' in Davos and direct it at President Trump. In fact, I think it's absurd.”
Roberts went on to say at Davos that the next conservative president would assume the mandate of the people to inherit power from the elites.
“The reason I want to drive back here is that the very reason I'm here in Davos is to say, with all due respect to the many people watching in this room, it's not personal, and you're one of them. “It's about explaining that there is something that's causing the problem,” he told Niblett.
Roberts said WEF-inspired elites are telling ordinary people that “the reality is X, but the reality is Y” on issues ranging from border security to climate change.
When Niblett asked Roberts who he thought would be part of the second Trump administration, he said it would be deciding who the next presidential nominee would be.
However, Roberts went on to provide the following insight into the kind of person the “forgotten people” are looking for in a bureaucracy:
“I'm going to be candid here, because I think I'm invited to be candid here. The kind of person who's going to be in the next Conservative government is going to be governed by one principle. “And that would destroy the perception that it's political,” he said. “Elites and unelected technocrats outnumber the average person.” .
“I'll be frank, this topic is… [next] What the administration needs to do is make a list of all the proposals ever made at the World Economic Forum and oppose them all. ”
Officials from the 47th president's administration who are not willing to reform the bureaucracy have no place in Washington, he said.
Appearing with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo ahead of his WEF remarks, Roberts quipped about how the “America First” message didn't seem to be resonating at the conference.
“Surprisingly, that's not the case. Yet few of the thousands of people invited here actually understand that the America First policy is right for Americans as well as non-Americans.” There are four or five people,” he said on “Mornings With.” Maria. ”
“[W]Americans have reached the pinnacle of freedom, and the rest of the world is truly benefiting. ”
