Trump to attend World Economic Forum in Switzerland

It will be Trump’s first trip outside the US since becoming only the third American president to be impeached Keystone

US President Donald Trump plans to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos this month, making up for an appearance he cancelled during last year’s US government shutdown. 

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham confirmed on Wednesday that Trump would attend the annual forumExternal link, which attracts wealthy, high-profile business and political figures, along with academics and other leaders of society. 

Trump announced on New Year’s Day that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would lead a delegation to WEF from January 20-24 that will include the secretaries of commerce, labour and transportation and the US trade representative. 

Trump also named his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, both White House senior advisers, to the delegation. 

Impeachment and re-election 

Trump’s appearance in Davos on January 21-22 will mark his first foray onto the world stage since he authorised the US military to kill Iran’s top military commander. 

It will also be Trump’s first trip outside the US since becoming only the third American president to be impeached, and the first one to carry that mark into a re-election campaign. 

Trump will address the gathering about two weeks before the first rounds of voting in the process to determine his Democrat opponent in the November election. 

The Democrat-controlled House impeached the Republican president on grounds of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine. Trump awaits a trial in the majority Republican Senate, which is not expected to vote to remove him from office. 

The president cited a partial shutdown of the US government when he pulled out of the 2019 forum, blaming Democrat lawmakers for what he said was their unwillingness to negotiate a resolution.