WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump, who won election as a populist and railed against free trade agreements, will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the White House announced on Tuesday.
The annual conference, to be held Jan. 23-26, has brought together international leaders of nations, business and finance at the Alpine ski resort since 1971 to discuss global cooperation. Given its elitist reputation, most presidents have not attended and Trump skipped it last year; his decision to go may reflect the waning influence of anti-globalists around him, notably fired chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon.
This year's theme reflects the gathering's international flavor: "Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World." Yet a White House statement indicated Trump would not hesitate to bring his nationalist message to the assemblage of globalists.
"The President welcomes opportunities to advance his America First agenda with world leaders," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in the statement, adding that "the President looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen American businesses, American industries, and American workers."
Free trade is especially popular among Davos attendees. Since becoming president, Trump has withdrawn from multinational trade agreements with Pacific Rim allies and Europeans and threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if talks with Mexico and Canada don't yield significant changes.
