He isn’t the most popular guy, eh?
A DEFIANT President Trump barreled his way into international talks Friday at the annual Group of Seven summit by bashing longtime U.S. allies and suggesting Russia rejoin the group.
Trump, his Singapore summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un just days away, reluctantly attended the Canadian confab, accompanied by baggage that included talks of tariffs and threats of a trade war.
Before leaving Washington, Trump raised the ire of allies and his enemies alike by suggesting Russia should rejoin the elite group of the world’s largest economies.
“Now, I love our country. I have been Russia’s worst nightmare,” Trump said as he left the White House en route to Quebec. “But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting. Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting?”
American allies at the G7 summit were already on edge over Trump’s decision to implement tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, targeting nations from key G7 allies such as Canada, Japan and the EU.
In the days before the summit, Trump turned up the heat as he railed against allies like Canada and France over U.S. trade practices and deficits.
Trump joined leaders from those countries and Japan, Britain, Italy and Germany.
Following a week worth of terse Twitter messages, Trump had a brief “very cordial” discussion about trade and North Korea with French President Emmanuel Macron, a French official said on Friday.
Trump was spotted in the afternoon posing for the group’s annual photo alongside his counterparts at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu hotel in Charlevoix, Quebec. He spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker before the shoot.
For the photo, Trump stood between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the river as a backdrop, smiling widely.
A day earlier, Macron hammered Trump over his antagonistic trade stance.
“A trade war doesn’t spare anyone,” he said. “It will start first of all to hurt U.S. workers.”
Trudeau said Trump’s actions would hurt American and Canadian workers.
Trump and Trudeau had a oneon-one meeting later in the evening. The neighboring leaders had an awkward exchange during a press gaggle before the sit-down.
When Trudeau was asked if he was disappointed Trump was leaving the summit early to prepare for his meeting with Kim, Trump quipped, “No, he’s happy.”
The President’s Russia-friendly remarks weren’t greeted warmly by the European leaders — or at home.
“President Trump is turning our foreign policy into an international joke, doing lasting damage to our country, without any rhyme or reason,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), said Trump “has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies.”
NEWS SAYS: