December is only just drawing to a close, and the Trump gang has almost already done a winter’s worth of damage to the less fortunate.  Donald shut down the federal government in a temper tantrum over funding for his “great, beautiful” border wall, while his DHS secretary continued to oversee the separation of a record number of migrant families — forcing the children into unsafe facilities and tent camps. And in a sort of bizarro holiday “gift” Trump took moves to add work requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reversing just-added protections passed in a bipartisan Congressional farm bill — potentially denying 755,000 people SNAP food & nutrition benefits by his action .

So, with all that work done … all that “winning” under their belts, in late January some select Team Trump members and Donald himself will pack their bags and fly off (at U.S. taxpayers expense) to Davos, a luxurious mountain resort in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum. The forum is a gathering of the world’s international economic movers & shakers: powerful heads of state, CEO’s, the mega-wealthy, and royalty discuss how to best shape global, regional, and industry agendas for themselves.

Trump and roughly a dozen other White House officials will head to Switzerland for the conference, which will bring together powerful political and business leaders from Jan. 22-25.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao [wife of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell], Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen [rumored to be leaving in Feb.], Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

White House advisers Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Chris Liddell [White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination] will also attend.

Govexec.com looked at the planned expenses for the trip as of December and found that hotel costs have already reached $2.9 million. The costs already obligated include $600,000 for the State Department to lease a small apartment building, $142,000 for miscellaneous staff apartments and $230,000 for “POTUS Functional Space” at the Intercontinental Hotel, where Trump stayed last year.

Not included in these early cost figures is approximately $2.2 million for Air Force One to haul Trump there and back or Marine One helicopter to scuttle him from Zurich airport to Davos and around those environs once he arrives in Switzerland.

Trump and entourage will get to schmooze with all their Russian counterparts: the oligarchs. A problem and threatened boycott by Russian president Putin was settled after a last minute deal was worked out with forum organizers to allow certain Russian oligarchs under sanction to attend. Ever willing to help them, Trump pitched right in and thoughtfully removed sanctions from one Russian magnate’s businesses.

So the Russians are coming to Davos, and Donald may even get to enjoy some quiet time with his handler Vladimir Putin, all courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers. Happy New Year.