"America first does not mean America alone": Trump to world leaders at Davos
President Donald Trump on Friday (Jan 26) offered "America's friendship and partnership" to the world in his debut appearance before the global business elite in Davos.
The United States President accompanied by 10 Cabinet members and other top advisers had a clear message for world leaders and executives - "America first" doesn’t mean America alone.
“This is about an America first agenda, but America first does mean working with the rest of the world,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a news conference Wednesday morning.
Gary Cohn, the head of Trump’s National Economic Council, put it this way: "America first is not
America alone."
While delivering the closing address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, Trump tried to fight back at the global perception that the United States is anti-globalization and against free trade.
Trump said: "I believe in America. As president of the United States, I will always put America First. Just like the leaders of other countries should put their country first. But America First does not mean America alone."
He also encouraged global companies to do business in the US: "Come to America, where you can innovate, create and build."
Trump told his audience of politicians and leaders of industry, technology, and finance that the United States was more attractive than ever to foreign investment under his year-old presidency.
"The world is experiencing the resurgence of a strong and prosperous America. America is open for business and we are competitive once again," he added in a speech to the World Economic Forum.
But he warned: "We cannot have free and open trade if some countries exploit the system at the expense of others. We support free trade but it needs to be fair and it needs to be reciprocal. The United States will no longer turn a blind eye to unfair economic practices."
Read Trump's full speech here.
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