Trump arrives in Switzerland to attend Davos forum
US President Donald Trump landed in Zurich on Thursday aboard Air Force One at the start of his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Trump was transferring to a helicopter to complete the journey to the alpine village, where the world's political and business elite are anxious to hear what the president intends to say about his 'America First' agenda.
Trump is due to deliver the closing address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Friday and aides say he will use his surprise maiden appearance to play salesman-in-chief, making the case for investment in a revitalised America.
The president's security and logistical teams scrambled to prepare the trip at short notice, scouring the valleys around Davos for limited hotel space, battling snowstorms and finding themselves briefly hamstrung by a US government shutdown.
Aside from his speech, Trump will hold meetings on Thursdaywith the British and Israeli prime ministers, both of whom are due to address the forum, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
With Kagame, who currently chairs the African Union, Trump will likely try to turn a page on his reported derogatory comment about “shithole” African countries.
For her part, British leader Theresa May will encourage activist investors to pressure social media firms into clamping down on fake news, hate speech and sexual harassment, according to excerpts of her speech released by Downing Street.
Trump, who is travelling with six cabinet ministers, is the first sitting president to attend Davos since Bill Clinton in 2000.
Trump's business-friendly tax cuts and a record-breaking bull run on Wall Street have wowed many in the Davos crowd. US growth edged up to 3.2 percent in the third quarter.
But the decision by Trump – the self-styled anti-globalist president – to attend the world's most notable gathering of globalists, and at an exclusive Swiss ski resort no less, has left some scratching their heads.
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Trump was transferring to a helicopter to complete the journey to the alpine village, where the world's political and business elite are anxious to hear what the president intends to say about his 'America First' agenda.
Trump is due to deliver the closing address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Friday and aides say he will use his surprise maiden appearance to play salesman-in-chief, making the case for investment in a revitalised America.
The president's security and logistical teams scrambled to prepare the trip at short notice, scouring the valleys around Davos for limited hotel space, battling snowstorms and finding themselves briefly hamstrung by a US government shutdown.
Aside from his speech, Trump will hold meetings on Thursdaywith the British and Israeli prime ministers, both of whom are due to address the forum, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
With Kagame, who currently chairs the African Union, Trump will likely try to turn a page on his reported derogatory comment about “shithole” African countries.
For her part, British leader Theresa May will encourage activist investors to pressure social media firms into clamping down on fake news, hate speech and sexual harassment, according to excerpts of her speech released by Downing Street.
Trump, who is travelling with six cabinet ministers, is the first sitting president to attend Davos since Bill Clinton in 2000.
Trump's business-friendly tax cuts and a record-breaking bull run on Wall Street have wowed many in the Davos crowd. US growth edged up to 3.2 percent in the third quarter.
But the decision by Trump – the self-styled anti-globalist president – to attend the world's most notable gathering of globalists, and at an exclusive Swiss ski resort no less, has left some scratching their heads.
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