Trump to skip South America summit to focus on Syria
President Donald Trump said he will decide in the next few days whether the US will respond militarily for the reported chemical weapons attack in Syria. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Donald Trump will skip an upcoming summit in South America and will remain in the United States to “oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.”
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Tuesday that Trump will not attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru or travel to Bogota, Colombia as planned. Vice President Mike Pence will travel in his place. It’s scheduled to begin April 13.
Trump said Monday he would “forcefully” respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria and would soon decide how.
The White House made the announcement about the schedule change a day after federal agents raided the office of Trump’s personal attorney.