'No Kings' sign in Davos ahead of Trump's World Economic Forum speech sparks backlash; 'they hate...'

A ‘No Kings’ sign was seen on the mountainside in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum is being held, ahead of Donald Trump's scheduled address.

Published on: Jan 21, 2026, 05:28:47 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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A ‘No Kings’ sign was seen on the mountainside in Davos, Switzerland where the World Economic Forum is being held. The sign was lit a day ahead of President Donald Trump's address there.

President Donald Trump is expected to headline events at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday. (AP)

Trump is expected to headline events on Wednesday and several members of the US administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and special envoy Steve Witkoff will also be present.

The photo from Davos quickly became viral and was shared widely on social media.

Also Read | Davos 2026: 7 Indian CEOs invited to Trump's reception at World Economic Forum: Who are they?

NBC News' Peter Alexander shared the photo, and wrote “As President Trump began his news conference stateside… in Davos, we spotted the words “NO KINGS” - in all caps - glowing on the mountainside overlooking the World Economic Forum site where Trump speaks tomorrow.”

Another angle shows the sign from a distance, with the mountain clearly visible.

The term ‘No Kings’ has become a rallying political cry for demonstrations against the Trump administration in the US. It seeks to convey the point that no one person is above the law or possesses absolute power. Recently, the president also said that he was not as bound by international law as he was by his own sense of morality, when it came to his actions.

Trump's Davos visit this year comes at a time when the US is threatening action on Greenland, seeking to take control of it to keep it out of the hands of China or Russia.

However, Trump supporters have not taken kindly to the ‘No Kings’ sign, with many pointing out that Europe still has a widespread practice of monarchy.

Reactions to ‘No Kings’ sign in Davos

Several people reacted in the comments of the photos that were shared online. One person wrote “Doesn't Europe have kings?.” Another added, “How ironic.”

While one person called it ‘cringe’ another quipped ‘They hate England,’ referring to the monarchy across the pond. Some also raised questions about who actually funded the sign in Davos.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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