Trump leaves for Davos meeting

Tom Bossert, a Homeland Security adviser to Trump, told journalists Thursday that if Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not careful, his country’s recent air and ground attacks on USA -backed fighters next door in Syria could lead to a serious “miscalculation and escalation” in the region.

At a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mnuchin played down his comments on Wednesday that a weaker dollar was “good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities”, saying they had been “balanced and consistent”.

Trump will also use his trip for some diplomacy.

Trump told reporters late Wednesday that he made a decision to go to Davos “to get them to bring back a lot of money”.

“He said very nice things about what I’ve done for this country in terms of the economy”. So I think it’s very clear.

Trump also seemed eager to dispel concerns about his global leadership.

“I believe everyone has already noticed that at the end of past year China has taken real steps to greatly loosen its financial industry, market access and others”, she said. He said it was a “false rumor” and that he wanted to “correct it”.

First Lady Melania Trump attends a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on December 7, 2017.

Bossert said Thursday it would be a “terrible outcome” if Turkish troops clashed with “the proxy forces that we have all been relying on to defeat ISIS, especially if there are USA advisers in the region”.

His latest comments helped depress the dollar to a three-year euro low and were taken as reinforcing a broad offensive in trade built on the “America First” platform, drawing the ire of French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. “We live in a 21st century interconnected globalized economy, and his idea of erecting trade barriers is going to unspool the entire system if left unchecked”.

In addition to Mnuchin, there is Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, U.S. Trade Representative Robert LIghthizer, National Security Advisor General HR McMaster and senior adviser and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump is also ready to argue that global cooperation can be part of his “America First” agenda.

It’s unclear whether Trump will meet other African leaders at Davos, but President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa are among the attendees.

Aside from his speech, Trump will hold meetings Thursday with the British and Israeli prime ministers, both of whom are due to address the forum, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

“What I’m bulled up about is that policy makers are making good policy decisions in the USA about taxes, about proper regulatory reform”, JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Mohale said he hopes Trump’s presence at Davos will spark a debate on inclusiveness, respect and tolerance.

The president is set to make a speech at the forum on Friday, but Quartz reported a number of people had told the publication they were considering walking out, going a step further than simply not attending.

Other world leaders here, anticipating that Trump would promote his protectionist trade and isolationist foreign policy views, stressed the importance of free trade and globalization in their remarks.

Speaking of a phone call between the two last month, Trump said: “It was great”.

Trump reportedly used an expletive to denigrate African countries in a January 12 immigration meeting, causing offense across the continent. He also criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack previous year.

One had been expected, but the timing was thrown into question when the US President cancelled a trip to open the new US embassy in London in an “off location”.

Trump concluded 2017 with the passage of a major tax overhaul, a key policy achievement.

On trade, he did sign an executive order to withdraw from the TPP but has opted to renegotiate the NAFTA agreement. He said he would pursue individual deals with the other countries. Panel topics include “The Global Impact of America First”, “A Society Divided”, “Post-Establishment Politics?” and “The Weaponization of Culture”.