It were almost as though the clouds of the last week’s mayhem had been lifted today, as US President Donald Trump tweeted his excitement at his upcoming foreign tour, the first since his presidency began. As the world’s eyes are turned toward Washington, following the firing of FBI chief James Comey and a call for Trump’s impeachment by Democrat Congressman Al Green, the leader will be packing his bags and boarding his plane for Saudi Arabia.
Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2017
Meeting with King Salman bin Abdulaziz
On Saturday as the President arrives in Riyadh for the weekend, he is due to meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his increasingly powerful son, the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Whilst in the capital, Trump will give a speech on his “hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam” to fifty five leaders and Representatives from Muslim countries attending the Arab Islamic American Summit. This is seen by some as a rather controversial topic, considering calls made by Trump during his campaign for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
In addition, the weekend will also see a free concert held in Riyadh, by American Country singer Toby Keith. The event will only be open to men aged twenty one and above, and unlike many of the musician’s songs, will not feature a single drop of alcohol in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s strict alcohol ban.
It has already been made clear that one such leader will not be attending, as Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will instead send a representative.
This is seemingly due to the US stance over allegations made against him of war crimes relating to the conflict in Darfur, as a US official told NBC News, the United States “strongly support efforts to hold accountable those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including such acts in Darfur."
The world will be watching
The president is due to continue his trip through the middle east via Israel and Palestine, moving on to Brussels, the Vatican and Sicily later this week.
The world will be watching eagerly with regard to Trump’s stance on human rights in the Middle East, with many anticipating it will fall short of the high moral expectations made clear by his predecessor Barrack Obama. Mr Trump is set to close an arms deal in Riyadh over the weekend, worth a “huge” ten million dollars. This comes in stark contrast to a four million dollar deal that was blocked by the Obama administration just last year.
Today, as President Trump prepares for take-off, the NY Times reported his recent remarks that Comey’s sacking alleviated the “great pressure” on him. Telling Russian officials, "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," the leader perhaps leaves the globe to ponder who in fact the genuine “real nut job” is.
