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5/19/17

Abbreviated pundit roundup: Trump begins first foreign trip under cloud of scandal and chaos

We begin today’s roundup with Paul Waldman at The Week and his analysis of Donald Trump’s first overseas trip:

[I]t isn't hard to imagine that things won't go smoothly — an errant remark that offends his hosts, angry protests against him, or who knows what else. Perhaps the most fraught part of the trip is a speech Trump is scheduled to give in Riyadh, in which he will address the world's Muslims with a discussion of Islam. What could possibly go wrong?

For starters, the speech is being written by Stephen Miller, the former Jeff Sessions aide who has a broad policy portfolio in the White House. Among other things, Miller helped author the administration's ban on travel from several Muslim countries, and is seen as a partner with Stephen Bannon in a long-term project to limit immigration and push back on non-European cultural influences. Miller is hardly alone on this score; Trump's administration is rife with Islamophobes, from Bannon to Sebastian Gorka to the president himself. This has not been lost on the world's Muslims, who may be less than receptive to a lecture from Trump on the past, present, and future of their religion.

Every time Trump goes to a new place or meets a new group of people, there will be new opportunities for him to offend and insult, intentionally or otherwise. While he has little understanding of domestic policy, in foreign policy his cluelessness may be even more encompassing — and of course he has little or no desire to learn what he doesn't already know. 

Jen Kirby and Margaret Hartmann at New York Magazine:

Despite the hype, Trump seems unenthused about this new presidential obligation. He reportedly “barked at an aide” that the trip should be half as long, and has had trouble focusing on preparations for his meetings with foreign leaders. According to Reuters, National Security Council officials have resorted to repeating Trump’s name throughout his briefing materials in an effort to make sure he reads them.

In other words, it’s unlikely that an entirely new Trump is going to step off Air Force One. Here’s a look at the controversies that are already brewing, and what to expect when our inexperienced and possibly agitated president throws himself into delicate foreign policy matters...



from Daily Kos http://ift.tt/2rlpsWt

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