President Trump on Friday made his salesman's pitch for America before an international crowd of corporate and political titans, and took credit for its economic success, yet he was shadowed by clouds from home — news of his heightened jeopardy in the Russia probe and opposition to his immigration plan.
The speech at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos was unusual for its venue: A president who campaigned against globalism sought to define his "America First" policy to an audience of international elites who view free trade and global cooperation as bedrock principles.
"America is open for business and we are competitive once again," Trump told attendees in a large hall, speaking in deliberate tones from teleprompters, unlike his usual riffs at rallies and other gatherings of loyalists.
"Now is the perfect time to bring your business, your jobs and your investments to the United States" Trump said. "We are freeing our business and workers so they can thrive as never before."
There was no applause when Trump said he will put America first just as other leaders should put their countries first.
Trump, who often has said America is being "ripped off," accused "some countries" of exploiting the international trading system at the expense of others. He said he supports free trade, but it "needs to be fair and it needs to be reciprocal."
The annual Davos conference, perched in a ritzy Alpine village, is considered the premier event for the world's wealthy glitterati, a sharp contrast to the "forgotten" men and women of Trump's political rhetoric. Trump dined on tenderloin, fried fish and pureed peas with a small group of European business tycoons Thursday night, looking excited to take the role of salesman for American business opportunities as the executives took turns praising his policies.
Loud groans were heard in the room Friday when Klaus Schwab, the German founder of the World Economic Forum, introduced Trump and said: "Your strong leadership is open to misconceptions and biased interpretations."
During a question-and-answer session with Schwab after his speech, Trump said the stock market would have gone down 50% if Hillary Clinton had been elected instead of him, and he called the news media "vicious" and "fake." His criticism of the press elicited boos from people in hall.
The audience here and around the world watched the tone of Trump's speech carefully, given his antagonism to international organizations and pacts, such as the Paris climate accord, trade agreements and the Iran nuclear deal that are generally celebrated at the conference.
But the speech is likely to be overshadowed at home in the United States. The New York Times reported late Thursday that Trump tried to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III last June, halting the effort only after White House counsel Donald McGahn threatened to resign.
Trump's administration also opened a new policy debate while he was abroad, releasing a wide-ranging immigration plan that has already drawn sharp criticism from both sides.
Yet the president brushed it off as he entered the hall on Friday, dismissing a shouted question about the Mueller development with his usual "fake news" condemnation. He seemed in a good mood and, as he has before, boasted of his crowd size.
"We have a tremendous crowd, and a crowd like they've never had before. It's a crowd like they've never had before at Davos," Trump bragged as he entered the hall with Schwab. Then he quipped, "I assume they're here because of Klaus."
Twitter: @noahbierman
UPDATES:
6 a.m.: This article was updated with Trump's comments.
This article was originally published at 2:10 a.m.