Jonathan Easley

1 day ago | thehill.com | Jonathan Easley

PRESIDENT TRUMP on Tuesday pushed for a realignment between the U.S. and strategic partners in the Middle East on the first major foreign trip of his second term, underscored by the opulent, lavender carpet rollout he received from Saudi Arabia. The welcome party from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) got underway before Trump even touched down in Riyadh, with a half-dozen Saudi F-15 fighter jets escorting Air Force One for the final leg of the journey.

2 days ago | thehill.com | Jonathan Easley

PRESIDENT TRUMP left Washington Monday boosted by a pause in the trade war with China but trailed by a new controversy over an expensive gift from the government of Qatar. Trump will be hunting new investment deals for the U.S. over the next four days in the Middle East on the first major foreign trip of his second term, with stops planned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also making the trip.

6 days ago | thehill.com | Jonathan Easley

PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THURSDAY announced the first trade deal since enacting his “Liberation Day” tariffs that have roiled economies at home and abroad. The details are still being finalized, but Trump and his team unveiled the broad contours of a deal with the United Kingdom that will open up billions of dollars in market access in Britain, the sixth largest economy in the world and the U.S.’s fourth largest trading partner.

1 week ago | thehill.com | Jonathan Easley

FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN is sitting for his first interviews since leaving office, as Democrats grapple with an identity crisis and seek a new generation of leaders to guide them out of the political wilderness. Biden gave his first post-presidency interview to the BBC, where he criticized Trump’s handling of global affairs, from the Russia-Ukraine war to his talk of acquiring Greenland. “What the hell’s going on here? What president ever talks like that? That’s not who we are,” Biden said.

1 week ago | thehill.com | Jonathan Easley

PRESIDENT TRUMP and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held a friendly sparring session over trade and Canada’s independence Tuesday in front of cameras in the Oval Office. The two leaders appeared friendly and at ease, even after Trump belittled Canada over social media only minutes before Carney arrived at the White House.