For those who have been following Trump’s travels in Asia these past few weeks, there were no surprises nor anything to be considered “major” in the President’s address.
President Donald Trump, back in Washington D.C. after his lengthy 12-day trip around Asia, delivered a speech this Wednesday, Nov 15, detailing the particulars of his time abroad.
In the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, at 3:35pm EST, President Trump began his address by beaming at the “incredible warmth, hospitality, and most importantly respect” he and his delegation were treated with on their travels, something Trump attributes to the renewed “confidence” and “strength” that America has shown the world since the start of his presidency.
Echoing his statements in Asia earlier this week, President Trump went on to once again blame previous US administrations for the “threats” and “challenges” he inherited as president when he was inaugurated into office earlier this year.
“When I came into office, our country was faced with a series of growing dangers,” Trump stated. “These threats included rogue regimes pursuing deadly weapons, foreign powers challenging America’s influence, the spread of the murderous terror group ISIS, and years of unfair trade practices that had dangerously depleted our manufacturing base and wiped out millions and millions of middle-class jobs.”
But noting the previous trips he has taken this past year as president, Trump explained how his efforts abroad so far have worked towards his goal to “rebuild America, restore its economic strength, and defend its national security,” but most importantly “put the best interests of the American people first.”
His most recent trip to Asia, Trump claims, carried that same vision and commitment to the American people. President Trump went on to describe the three core goals that he had carried throughout his 12-day Asia tour, and how he believed each leg of his trip had successfully reached those said goals.
The President’s objectives in Asia were to 1) unite the world against the nuclear menace posed by the North Korean regime, 2) encourage a free and open Indo-Pacific, and 3) insist on fair and reciprocal trade that would benefit the United States.
According to Trump these goals were met, but aside from vague verbal commitments from political leaders in regards to both North Korea and trade, Trump left Asia with no significant policy breakthroughs.
True, there were diplomatic reaffirmations for the need to denuclearize North Korea, business deals that were signed, and a general consensus from political leaders on the need for “fair” trade (with few specifics of what “fair” exactly entails), but at no point during Trump’s trip was there any palpable indication that anything of gravity was to happen anytime soon.
Before the end of his tour, Trump had hinted at a “major” announcement during his address on Wednesday at the White House. However, for those who have been following Trump’s travels these past few weeks, there were no surprises nor anything to be considered “major” in the President’s address.
Despite this, Trump concluded his remarks with perhaps unbefitting optimism: “My fellow citizens, America is back, and the future has never looked brighter.”