The high-ranking delegation of US officials will not be flying to the World Economic Forum in Davos, the White House has announced. The decision was taken "out of consideration" for some 800,000 workers affected by the 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 cancelled his Delegation's trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement on Thursday.
The announcement comes just five days before the annual Davos conference kicks off on January, 22.
Trump himself was not supposed to travel to Davos this time, "respectfully" canceling his trip last week over the record-breaking shutdown that has brought nine government agencies to a standstill while dragging on for the 27th day.
It comes shortly after Trump cancelled House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Belgium, Egypt, and Afghanistan, calling it a seven-day "excursion" and encouraging Pelosi to fly commercial.
Trump postponing Pelosi's trip over the shutdown was itself seen as retaliation to her demanding the President puts on hold his State of the Union address until the government reopens. The House Speaker argued that the Secret Service, which has also been affected by the shutdown, lacks resources to staff the high-security event.
The Secret Service, however, appeared to have dismissed Pelosi's claims, with an unnamed law enforcement official, cited by NBC News, calling Trump's address a "no-fail mission."
Trump's move on Pelosi, however, drew criticism from Democrats and some of the Republicans. Trump also took heat on Twitter for not canceling his delegation's Davos trip for the same reasons.
BREAKING: As Trump claims to cancel Nancy Pelosi's overseas trip due to the "government shutdown", Trump's own Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin will leave for Davos, as planned.
If you can't see the hypocrisy here, you are clueless!
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 17, 2019
“If you can't see the hypocrisy here, you are clueless!,” Ed Krassenstein wrote.
The Russiagaters used the Trump cabinet's Davos trip to weave the Russian collusion narrative into the conversation.
Aide: So we’re canceling a congressional visit to the troops?
Trump: Hell yes!
Aide: But you still want Mnuchin in Davos to see Manafort handler Oleg Deripaska?
Trump: Hell yes!
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 17, 2019
Just so we're clear,
Trump is saying the person who is 2nd IN LINE to the Presidency can't visit troops during the shutdown but he is STILL sending the Secretary of the Treasury to Davos to meet with Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska.
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) January 17, 2019
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were supposed to attend the event steadily associated with globalism and big money.
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