“In Davos, Donald Trump is already the president,” Open Society Foundations Chairman Alex Soros told a panel at the World Economic Forum on Friday.
“That’s a good thing, because the Davos consensus is always wrong,” he said.
The possibility of Trump securing the Republican nomination and winning a second term as President has been widely discussed at the political and business leaders’ gathering in Switzerland.
Despite facing 91 felony counts for various legal issues, including attempts to overturn the 2020 election, mishandling classified documents, and hush money payments, numerous U.S. business executives remain optimistic about Trump’s chances against President Joe Biden in the anticipated 2024 race.
“Donald Trump owns the Republican Party. We’re in something I like to call the Trump cycle, because I think even if — and I believe, if the institutions hold, when — he loses this election, he’ll also be the Republican candidate in 2028 and maybe even 2032 as well,” Soros said, drawing a ripple of laughter from attendees.
“What’s the way out for him? He either winds up in prison or he winds up in power, he’s not going off on some beach somewhere and retiring.”
In recent months, Trump has consistently led Biden in most polls across crucial swing states. However, data from Redfield & Wilton Strategies, in collaboration with The Telegraph, published last week revealed a narrowing of leads in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Soros maintained that the incumbent president still possesses a “favorable map” and expressed confidence in Biden retaining Arizona and Georgia. He argued that the “extremism” associated with Trump and his allies is viewed as “highly detrimental” to many voters in these states.
“But, actually, if you want to look at one state which will really test where the election is, it’s Wisconsin, because if Joe Biden’s able to win Wisconsin, it should mean that he’s won Pennsylvania and Michigan,” added Soros, son of billionaire philanthropist and Open Society Foundations founder George Soros.
“Biden actually has a particular advantage in a polarized electoral environment which is that he’s not polarizing.”
