Treasury secretary defends Trump’s trip to Davos

WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending President Donald Trump’s decision to attend this year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Mnuchin told reporters Thursday that administration officials attending the gathering of many of the world’s most influential leaders will be promoting Trump’s “America First” agenda and ways to bring jobs and economic investment to the U.S.

“I don’t think it’s a hangout for globalists,” said Mnuchin, who will be leading the presidential delegation later this month. The delegation will include several Cabinet secretaries, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, along with White House adviser Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.

The White House said Trump is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron along the sidelines of the meeting.

Trump ran on a populist platform, criticizing global elites. But Mnuchin said attending is not contradictory to that mission.

He said he and other administration officials have no interest in “rubbing elbows” with the other attendees.

“This trip is all business,” Mnuchin said.