Donald Trump Jr.’s speech shifts from foreign policy
NEW DELHI — As criticism mounted that the American president’s eldest son was pushing an ethics boundary by making a foreign policy speech at an Indian business summit, conference organizers hurriedly changed the speech’s title.
Donald Trump Jr. was slated to speak Friday evening on “Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The Era of Cooperation.”
But a few hours before he was set to speak, the agenda for the Global Business Summit had changed, announcing instead “A Fireside Chat with Donald Trump Jr.”
The summit, where Trump Jr. is sharing space with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is part of his whirlwind trip promoting Trump-brand luxury real estate.
Critics had said that Trump Jr. airing his views on international relations, especially while sharing a platform with senior Indian government officials, was problematic because of
5 Jerusalem embassy: Two Trump administration officials say the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will open in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel declaring independence. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed off on the security plan for the new embassy on Thursday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Israel proclaimed independence on May 14, 1948. The May opening marks a significant acceleration. Vice President Mike Pence had said previously the embassy would open by the end of 2019. the implication that he has his father’s ear.
“I am concerned that Mr. Trump’s speech will send the mistaken message that he is speaking on behalf of the president, the administration or the United States government, not as a private individual, or that he is communicating official American policy,” Sen. Robert Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a letter earlier this week to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
On Thursday, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said the Trump administration “takes seriously its obligation to ensure that government resources are not used to provide a private benefit to anyone.”
With five ventures under the Trump brand, India has the company’s largest number of projects outside the United States. The Trump Organization charges a licensing fee to its Indian partners who build the properties under the Trump name.