World Leaders Openly Heckle Trump Official During Davos Speech
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced a tough crowd at the World Economic Forum in Davos—and was heckled by a surprising, but familiar, former U.S. vice president.
During an official dinner Tuesday night, Lutnick reportedly launched into a tirade criticizing Europe, inviting jeers from the forum’s major members, heads of state, and other dignitaries.
“We are here at Davos to make one thing crystal clear: With President Trump, capitalism has a new sheriff in town,” Lutnick said, according to the Financial Times.
Multiple people reportedly started heckling Lutnick’s speech—including former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who started booing the secretary, two executives told the Times. Amid the chaos, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, walked out of the dinner.
The hosting WEF chairman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, ended up calling off the event before desserts had been passed out, one source told Reuters.
The U.S. Commerce Department claimed that Gore was the only one who booed.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum Wednesday, Trump continued the American posturing as he tried to take credit for Europe’s existence in a winding, incoherent address.