Trump was busy praising his own achievements in front of the world, while on the other side, China openly and sharply questioned, leaving US Treasury Secretary Biden struggling to respond, only to act ignorant. Trump's boasts were too big.

Trump's speech

Every year at the beginning of the year, the Swiss town of Davos becomes a "gathering place" for global political and business elites. The World Economic Forum is held here, where leaders from various countries engage in heated debates and present their positions. It is both a stage to showcase national strength and a "mirror" that reveals hidden contradictions. This year was no different; Trump made a dazzling appearance, drawing worldwide attention.

As expected, he continued his arrogant and flamboyant style, boasting about his administration's achievements before the global elite, portraying the United States as a "global economic engine" and "peacemaker," as if under his leadership, the U.S. had already achieved "making America great again."

However, when Trump was talking non-stop and exaggerating his achievements, a sharp question from a Chinese journalist directly burst his "achievement bubble." When asked about the "kill line" survival dilemma in the U.S., Treasury Secretary Biden, who accompanied Trump, instantly lost his usual confidence. He either changed the subject or simply acted ignorant, stating, "I don't understand the question," and finally gave no direct answer at all.

Biden interviewed

On one side, Trump's exaggerated praise of his achievements; on the other, Biden's indifferent response. The U.S. really embarrassed itself this time. The term "kill line" originally comes from video games, referring to a character's health bar being so low that it can be defeated with just a little more damage.

Now, this term is used to describe the survival difficulties of low-income groups in the U.S. According to reports, 37% of adults in the U.S. cannot come up with $400 in an emergency, meaning they have almost no savings. Once they face unemployment, illness, or other unexpected events, they will quickly fall into a debt crisis, even end up homeless, and be "eliminated" by society. This is known as the "kill line."

Homeless people on the street in the U.S.

At the same time, Trump claimed that the U.S. is the "best investment destination" and that the American economy has achieved "unprecedented results in such a short period." He particularly boasted about reducing the trade deficit by 77% through tariff policies, but chose to ignore the heavy burden these policies placed on American families.

The "Big and Beautiful Act" pushed by Trump, which superficially increased tax refunds for American citizens, actually mainly benefited middle- and high-income groups. Low-income families received very little, and instead, they had their food assistance and medical benefits cut. The Atlantic magazine pointed out that this act was "the largest wealth transfer upward in American history."

Davos Economic Forum 2026 Annual Meeting

When a Chinese journalist asked Treasury Secretary Biden at the Davos event, "What is your view on the 'kill line' phenomenon in the U.S.?" Biden's response was extremely evasive. He first blamed former President Biden, claiming that the difficulties faced by low-income groups in the U.S. were caused during Biden's presidency. Then he suddenly turned around, claiming he didn't know what the Chinese journalist was asking.

As the U.S. Treasury Secretary, how could Biden not know about the "kill line"? His reason for avoiding the topic and acting deaf and dumb is because this question hit the U.S.'s "weak point." If he responded directly, it would completely burst Trump's "achievement bubble" and expose the mess of the U.S. domestic governance.

At this point, looking back at this incident, we can see that Trump's "achievement display" at Davos is essentially a self-deception. Biden's avoidance of the "kill line" reflects the institutional defects and the hypocrisy of the U.S. hegemony. When a country's government no longer cares about the lives of its own people and only focuses on maintaining power and hegemony, the decline of that country is an inevitable result.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7598115975451525651/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.