Abe to meet Trump as scandals swirl at home

TOKYO (AP) — Domestic political scandals and sinking approval ratings are weighing on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he heads to President Donald Trump’s Mar-aLago resort for two days of talks starting today.

Before boarding his flight from Tokyo, Abe took the unusual step of pledging to clean up the mess in government when he gets back. “As head of the government, I’m committed to deal with every single problem responsibly to uncover the truth and squeeze out the pus,” he said.

Abe’s meetings with Trump may provide a brief respite from his problems at home and could even stem the slide in his popularity. The two leaders plan to golf, as at their two previous summits.

But this round of talks may prove more challenging than the first two. Abe will have to overcome policy divisions on trade and potentially North Korea that have emerged in Trump’s second year in office. A poor summit showing could further undermine Abe’s position at home.

The Japanese leader’s approval ratings have declined to below 30 percent in some polls as Abe has been hit by accusations of cronyism and the mishandling of official documents by several ministries. That contrasts with the 50 percent approval rating he enjoyed at the time of his Tokyo summit with Trump in November, soon after leading his ruling party to a landslide election victory.

A school land deal scandal linked to Abe’s wife re-erupted in March after a newspaper revealed that Finance Ministry officials had altered documents related to the school’s purchase of state land at a huge discount. Abe has denied that he or his wife intervened in the sale.