Trump cancels US delegation to Davos World Economic Forum due to shutdown
The Trump administration will no longer be sending a delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.
President Trump had already canceled his own plans to attend the meeting.
Earlier this week, the White House said it had planned to send a five-person delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Christine Wang | @christiiineeee
President Donald Trump has canceled his delegation's trip to the World Economic Forum, citing the partial government shutdown.
"Out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed, President Trump has canceled his Delegation's trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland," press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement late Thursday.
Earlier this week, the White House said it had planned to send Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chris Liddell, assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy coordination.
Trump canceled his own plans to attend the forum last week citing the shutdown.
The annual conference in Switzerland gathers world leaders and business executives. This year's theme is "Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
Earlier Thursday, the president postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned overseas trip with other members of Congress to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, shortly before they were scheduled to depart on a military plane. That postponement came a day after the California Democrat sent Trump a letter, urging him to either reschedule his upcoming State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress or deliver it in writing because of the shutdown.
A White House official told NBC News that all congressional delegations overseas that would have used federally funded military aircraft have been grounded by Trump until the shutdown ends.
