President Trump cancels Nancy Pelosi’s foreign trips

President Donald Trump’s conflict with Democrats over a partial U.S. government shutdown escalated on Thursday with Trump denying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi use of military aircraft for an overseas trip in apparent retaliation for her suggestion that he delay the annual State of the Union address.

The president’s move came a day after Pelosi suggested the president either postpone or submit in writing his 29 January State of the Union address, citing security concerns stemming from the partial shutdown of the federal government.

The rising tension suggested that the shutdown, now in its 27th day, remains far from being resolved.

Pelosi had been scheduled to travel on a military aircraft as part of a congressional delegation to Belgium, where NATO is based, and Afghanistan to visit American troops stationed there.

“Due to the shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed,” the president wrote. “In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate.”

He added: “It would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement. If you would like to make your journey flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.”

Trump’s intervention stopped the trip just as Pelosi and other lawmakers were about to travel.

The president later canceled his own administration’s plans to attend the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had planned to attend after Trump canceled his own participation at Davos.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that in forcing Pelosi not to travel on a U.S. government jet, Trump had acted within his authority as commander in chief.

“He postponed her ability to use military air, which must be approved” by the Department of Defense, Sanders said.

A spokesman for Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said the trip to Brussels was intended “to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.”

The Afghanistan leg of the trip would have obtained “critical national security and intelligence briefings from those on the front lines,” Hammill said.

Trump is holding out for $5.7 billion for a border wall. Democrats, who took over the U.S. House of Representatives this month, have rejected his demands, saying there are cheaper, more effective ways of enhancing border security.