US President Donald Trump has postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s upcoming trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan, asking her to stay to negotiate an end to the partial US government shutdown.
For foreign trips the speaker of the House of Representatives usually uses the military aircraft. The president added that Mrs Pelosi could proceed with the trip – which he described as a “public relations event” – using a commercial airline.
Mr Trump’s move came on the 27th day of the US’s longest-ever federal shutdown.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders shared the president’s letter in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1085978219872964608
Mr Trump’s cancellation of the trip emerged less than an hour before the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives was scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon, explained on Twitter the Fox News correspondent John Roberts, included in the White House pool.
“I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the Shutdown,” Mr Trump wrote.
Later on Thursday the White House announced it would not send a US delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland later this month, over 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,” – said Mr Trump.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is free in her movements, but using a commercial airline, and not «military aircraft», added Mr.Trump.
Drew Hammill, Mrs Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said her travel to Afghanistan had required a stop in Brussels to allow pilots to rest, as well as to meet top Nato commanders “to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment” to the alliance. He did not said whether Pelosi intends to make this visit after receiving a message from the president.
Mr Trump had previously said he would not attend, and on Tuesday announced a scaled-back delegation, which was to be led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Mr Hammill said the plans did not include a visit to Egypt, and noted that Mr Trump and Republicans have travelled during a shutdown.