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ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Donald Trump, third from right, and first lady Melania Trump, hidden at left, sit down to dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, third from left, and his wife Akie Abe, right, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.
JUPITER, Fla. >> President Donald Trump has long boasted about his prowess on the golf course. Now he’s putting his game to work.
The president spent his Saturday morning golfing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he hosts his first foreign leader at his winter estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
After a rocky diplomatic start that included contentious phone calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia, the friendly weekend of meetings, dinners and golf suggests the new president is willing to invest time in developing close personal relationships with leaders he feels he can work with.
Trump and Abe left Mar-a-Lago early Saturday morning and headed north to one of Trump’s golf courses in Jupiter, Florida. Reporters weren’t able to catch a glimpse of the pair as they played on the 285-acre property. But Trump later posted a photo of them giving each other a high-five on the golf course and tweeted, “Having a great time hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the United States!”
The Trump National Golf Club website, in typical Trumpian language, claims the course “features the finest revetted bunkers in the United States, incredible water hazards, including a magnificent island green, and one of the most picturesque landscapes, all of which make for a truly memorable round.”
Abe had joked at a joint press conference at the White House on Friday that he was looking forward to playing golf with Trump, even though he’s not nearly as good with a club.
He said he planned to use the time to discuss the future of the world, the Pacific region and U.S.-Japanese relations.
As their husbands golfed, Melania Trump and Akie Abe toured the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in nearby Delray Beach. The women were also expected to have lunch together at Mar-a-Lago.
The two couples touched down in Florida on Friday afternoon and headed straight to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, where they enjoyed a late dinner at its crowded patio restaurant. They were joined by Robert Kraft, the owner of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, and several interpreters. Paying members and club guests took in the scene and mingled with Trump and Abe into the night.
The president and Mrs. Trump are expected to host a more formal delegation dinner with the Abes on Saturday night.
Trump is also expected to tend to other business in Florida. He’s scheduled to speak by phone Saturday afternoon with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
Trump and Abe appear to have hit it off early. Abe was the only world leader to meet with Trump before his inauguration, and Trump welcomed Abe to the White House with a hug.
As a candidate, Trump often railed against former President Barack Obama for his frequent golfing, claiming Obama played more often than players on the PGA Tour.
He said if he won he’d likely be too busy to golf and would only play with people he was looking to make deals with.
One of Trump’s first actions as president was to withdraw the U.S. from a 12-nation, trans-Pacific trade agreement that was negotiated by the Obama administration and strongly supported by Tokyo.
Abe has said that Japan may be open to a bilateral trade deal with the U.S., but reaching such a deal would be political difficult. Japan logged the second largest trade surplus with the U.S. last year.
AP news feed. There was no mention on collaborating with the use of Japanese technology, among them, high speed train technology? I believe they may talking transcontinental rail system infrastructure improvement / build. I don’t believe that Hawaii was in the mix of discussions. 🙂 Personally I believe it would have been an embarrassment to The Rail Team / HART bringing it up. Subsequent review of planning, budgeting and implementation may reveal a level of incompetence that both Pres. Trump and PM Abe would rather avoid. Sad. 🙁 By the way, PM Abe a satisfactory first step negotiations with Putin in December 2016 (Re: northern islands). First step resulted in an economic cooperation deal. Relationship seems respectful. I believe PM Abe may be able to provide an entre’ for Pres. Trump…dynamics remind of me of business negotiations something that Pres. Trump is well versed. just saying. 🙂
@ w
Said we’ll.
@ wn ^5
How’s Nobuko?
You wouldn’t know anything that was said well JohnnyRayBobMindlessMinionKonnyakuHeadRicey cause you can’t think for yourself. I give you credit for trying despite your limited capacities.
How would you know I don’t know? Watch the discussions on the Type 10 battle tank deal. 🙂
Just goes to prove Trump’s point, that golfing with world leaders, something that Barry did not, produces more friendly relations by sharing each other’s concerns.
Where’s Bobby Titcomb?
You don’t want to know.
@ butinski
America’s traditional Presidential round of golf to better Foreign relationships went askew back in Jan 09.
Back on track now Big League!
No insults, no threats, no made-up facts. Keep it up…. ????????
SA doesn’t understand prayer emoji, puts a bunch of question marks. I guess religion and politics don’t mix…
Donald Trump is remaking the Presidency in his own image, using business sense to improve relations with world leaders. The stage is his for the next four years, or eight years if the Democratic establishment doesn’t eschew their country club mentality. For those of you who are incensed that he is President, may I remind you that it was Hillary Clinton’s friends in the media who were his Pygmalion, bringing him alive as the eventual Republican nominee. You avidly supported a seriously flawed candidate for President, trashing anyone who dared disagree that she should be the nominee.
Yes, he is and it’s so much like what was going on in the “Reagan Era”, many either don’t remember or were not there. My son (he was born in ’87)asked me about Reagan so I sent him a couple of video clips; one on his press briefing when he fired the air traffic controllers (’81) for their unreasonable demands and violating their oath of employment and the classic “Oh shut up!” to a protestor. Made my son realize that sometimes you got to just get tough. 🙂 I was fortunate to be around then and now. 🙂
Careful Trump… Do not meet with the German chancellor next. The liberal media will spin and say that you are reviving the axis of evil and reviving Hitler’s plan for world domination. Heil Trump!!!!!
America is changing already. You go DT.
Photo op to promote his country club.
who give a rip? what’s he doing about north korea?
geez people keep your eyes on the ball.
President Trump will not divulge information on what’s in store…stay tuned for a collaborated strategic effort against N. Korea…it will not be in a manner as most may expect. 🙂