Trump Davos Remarks Again Call 2020 Election 'Rigged' and Say 'People Will Soon Be Prosecuted' Over Outcome
Speaking at Davos on Jan. 21, Trump told Canada "lives because of the United States" and directly addressed former Bank of England governor Mark Carney—saying "remember that, Mark"—in response to Carney’s warning that the world order is being ruptured. He also repeated his claim that the 2020 election was "rigged," said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine "wouldn't have started" if it weren't, and asserted "people will soon be prosecuted" over the 2020 outcome without specifying who or what charges; mainstream accounts note Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 and that fraud allegations have been broadly refuted.
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 21 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said "Canada lives because of the United States," that Canada gets "many freebies" from the U.S. and "should be grateful," remarks captured on video and confirmed by PBS and Axios.
- He addressed Mark Carney directly — saying "Remember that, Mark" — tying his remarks to Carney’s earlier Davos speech warning of a "rupture" in the world order; Axios notes Carney avoided naming Trump but Canadian officials indicated the warnings were aimed at him.
- Axios reports Trump has pushed themes of hemispheric dominance and mused about making Canada the "51st state," and that Ottawa has reportedly begun planning how to repel a potential U.S. invasion.
- At Davos Trump repeated his claim that Russia’s war on Ukraine "wouldn't have started" if the 2020 U.S. election "weren't rigged."
- He also said "people will soon be prosecuted for what they did" regarding the 2020 election outcome, without specifying who would be prosecuted or what charges he had in mind.
- Background: The 2020 election result — Joe Biden 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump 232 — is routinely cited, and news outlets note Trump's fraud allegations have been broadly refuted.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 21, 2026
3:16 PM
WATCH: Trump says 'people will soon be prosecuted' for 2020 election outcome
New information:
- At Davos, Trump repeated his claim that Russia’s war on Ukraine 'wouldn't have started' if the 2020 U.S. election 'weren’t rigged.'
- In the same remarks, he said 'people will soon be prosecuted for what they did' regarding the 2020 election outcome, without specifying who or what charges he had in mind.
- The AP piece explicitly reiterates that Biden won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 in 2020 and that Trump’s fraud allegations have been broadly refuted.
3:08 PM
WATCH: Trump claims Canada 'lives because of the United States'
New information:
- PBS clip confirms and contextualizes Trump’s exact phrasing that 'Canada lives because of the United States' and that 'Canada gets many freebies from the U.S. and should be grateful.'
- The piece specifies that Trump’s remarks came directly in response to Carney calling the current phase of global diplomacy a 'rupture' and urging 'middle powers' to act together.
- It confirms the remarks were delivered in Trump’s Davos address and provides the broadcast video as primary-source evidence of the exchange.
2:47 PM
Trump responds to Carney in Davos: "Canada lives because of the United States"
New information:
- Trump, speaking at Davos on Jan. 21, said "Canada lives because of the United States" and that Canada should be "grateful" for the "freebies" it receives from the bilateral relationship.
- He addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney directly, saying, "Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements," explicitly tying his remarks to Carney’s prior Davos speech about a 'ruptured' world order.
- Axios notes that Carney deliberately avoided naming Trump in his speech but that Canadian officials indicated his warnings were aimed squarely at Trump’s recent actions.
- The piece reiterates that, as Trump pushes hemispheric dominance and muses about making Canada the '51st state,' Ottawa has reportedly begun planning for how to repel a potential U.S. invasion.