It was unclear whether the shutdown, now in its 20th day, would end before the start of the global economic meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 22 to 25. Trump and congressional Democrats are in a battle over funding for the government and Trump’s long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S SHUTDOWN
“Because of the Democrats intransigence on Border Security and the great importance of Safety for our Nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The president had told reporters at the White House earlier on Thursday that he intended to speak at the forum but would not attend if the shutdown continued. The cancellation quashes any opportunity for Trump to meet with other world leaders about economic issues, including trade.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters after a briefing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill that he was talking with the White House about whether he would still make the trip to Switzerland. “My guess is if we do continue it, it will be in a scaled-back version,” Mnuchin said.