President Trump, Saudi King meet in Riyadh
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – President Donald Trump opened his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down Saturday in Saudi Arabia for a visit aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region and moving past the controversies engulfing his young administration.
Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One and was greeted by an elaborate welcoming ceremony at Riyadh's airport, punctuated by a military flyover and a handshake from Saudi King Salman.
Trump is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president – a scheduling choice designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.
The president's stop in Saudi Arabia kicks off an ambitious international debut. After two days of meetings in Riyadh, Trump will travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.
As he arrived, the president waved from the doorway of Air Force One and then descended the steps, joined by First Lady Melania Trump. The 81-year-old King Salman, who used a cane for support, was brought to the steps of the plane on a golf cart. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and Trump said it was "a great honor'' to be there.
Several jets then flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.
White House officials hope the trip marks an opportunity for Trump to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his young presidency. The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the federal investigation into possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. On Wednesday, the Justice Department relented to calls from Democrats to name a special counsel, tapping former FBI chief Robert Mueller to lead the probe.
As Trump flew to Saudi Arabia, more reports stemming from the Russia investigation surfaced. The New York Times reported that Trump called Comey "a real nut job'' while discussing the ongoing investigation with two Russian officials visiting the White House earlier this month. He also told them that firing Comey had "taken off'' the "great pressure'' he was feeling from the investigation, the Times reported.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that an unidentified senior Trump adviser was being considered a "person of interest'' in the law enforcement investigation. In addition, Comey agreed to testify at an open hearing of the Senate intelligence committee in the near future, the panel said.
Despite his domestic troubles, Trump was expected to get a warm reception in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom's ruling family grew deeply frustrated with former President Barack Obama's detente with Iran and his restrained approach to the conflict in Syria. The king did not greet Obama at the airport during his final visit to the nation last year.