Turmoil at home, Don heads abroad for a ‘shift in focus’

Washington, May 19: With turmoil enveloping his administration at home, US President Donald Trump heads abroad on Friday for a trip the White House hopes will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.

Mr Trump leaves for Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon and will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip was billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world’s major religions, while creating face time with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But, a political uproar in Washington over Mr Trump’s firing of former FBI director James

In his first foreign trip since taking office, Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Belgium and Italy in the coming week

Comey, allegations that he pressed Mr Comey to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the subsequent appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and potential ties with Mr Trump’s campaign threaten to overshadow his trip.

“We look forward to getting this whole situation behind us,” the President told a press conference at the White House on Thursday.

Mr Trump is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Riyadh and Jerusalem, but lingering questions over his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to Nato and skepticism of the Paris climate agreement could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily.

“It’s almost always true that when a President goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits... that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out,” said Republican strategist Charlie Black.