Trump booed in Davos after criticizing press

By Fatih Erel

DAVOS, Switzerland (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Friday was booed after he called the press "nasty", "mean", "vicious", and "fake".

Speaking at a special closing session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday, he said: "It was not until I became a politician, that I realized how nasty, how mean, how vicious and how fake the press can be."

"As president of the United States, I will always put America First," said Trump. "Just like the leaders of other countries should put their countries first also. But America First does not mean America alone."

"America is a cutting-edge economy, but our immigration system is stuck in the past," he added. "We must replace our current system of extended-family chain migration with a merit-based system of admissions that selects new arrivals based on their ability to contribute to our economy, to support themselves financially, and to strengthen our country."

He also brought up the issue of defense.

"To make the world safer from rogue regimes, terrorism, and revisionist powers, we are asking our friends and allies to invest in their own defenses and to meet their financial obligations. Our common security requires everyone to contribute their fair share," he added, in reference to NATO.

Trump underlined the efforts to put "maximum pressure to de-nuke the Korean peninsula."

"We continue to call on partners to confront Iran’s support for terrorists and to block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Earlier this month, Trump extended sanctions relief to Iran for what he said would be the final time, calling on European allies to work with Washington to fix “significant flaws” in the nuclear deal.

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo at the World Economic Forum on Thursday urged countries to refrain from taking measures towards protectionism in reference to Trump.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Davos on Wednesday stressed the importance of multilateralism and global cooperation.

French President Emmanuel Macron also in Davos warned of rising protectionism.

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), has warned Trump over the real possibility of nuclear war, urging the international community not to ignore the nuclear threat.

"We are very concerned about Trump's new policy on nuclear weapons. It lowers the threshold of using nuclear weapons. It develops more usable nuclear weapons," Beatrice Fihn, ICAN executive director, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland.

On Thursday, a group of scientists moved the "doomsday clock" 30 seconds closer to midnight Thursday, citing the looming threats of nuclear conflict and climate change.

The clock has now advanced to two minutes to midnight, a metaphor for the end of humanity. It is now "the closest the Clock has ever been to Doomsday", matching only the height of the Cold War, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said.

Over 3,000 participants from more than 110 countries and more than 340 public figures, including more than 70 heads of state and government and 45 heads of international organizations, are attending the Davos Economic Forum.