President Donald Trump has arrived in Japan for an intense series of diplomatic talks – setting a contentious tone for the visit during his flight from the U.S. by demanding that India withdraw retaliatory tariffs.
He landed In Osaka on Thursday evening, local time, in an intense rain, disembarking with a black umbrella and waiving to people below as he walked down the stairway form Air Force One.
En route to typhoon-expectant Japan, Trump fired off a bullish tweet, chiding long-standing ally India for 'unacceptable' tariffs on American goods.
And before setting off he lambasted China for 'going down the tubes,' slammed Vietnam as the 'single worst abuser' on trade, lashed Germany as 'delinquent' on contributions to NATO, and said hosts Japan would not help the US in the event of WWIII.
'If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III. We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure,' he said. 'But if we're attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us. They can watch it on a Sony television.'
Trump blasted Beijing, claiming they wanted to do a trade deal because the world's number-two economy was 'going down the tubes'.
The in-flight entertainment en route was less than satisfactory. Trump declared the Democratic presidential debate, where his name barely came up, 'BORING.' He also said NBC and MSNBC should be 'ashamed' for an embarrassing technical glitch that forced the network to cut to commercial.
About 20 minutes before he landing, he tweeted a video mocking the glitch, set to ACDC's 'Crazy Train.'
'Thank you @MSNBC, real professionals! @ChuckTodd @Madow,' Trump wrote, singling out hosts Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow.
After some brief greetings on the tarmac, Trump walked onto 'The Beast' and was driven away. Following him were Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer and daughter Ivanka Trump.
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Trump immediately headed to his first meeting of the trip, dining with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He took a question about relations with U.S. allies – and gave an answer where he said the U.S. looks at itself more 'positively' than ever.
'We've been very good to our allies. We work with our allies. We take care of our allies. We generally speaking – I've inherited massive trade deficits with our allies,' Trump said. 'And we even help our allies militarily. So we do look at ourselves, and we look at ourselves, I think, more positively than ever before,' he said.
Trump already had his hands full with a series of difficult meetings on his agenda – including one with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has said he 'may' raise the issue of Russia's election interference.
But if his Twitter feed is any guide, he hasn't backed off his stance that it is FBI and Intelligence Community members who have explaining to do.
With Special Counsel Robert Mueller now set to testify publicly in July about Russia and his investigation of obstruction, Trump asked hours before he landed why Democrats in the House weren't investigating top former officials who 'leaked, lied and did so many other terrible things.'
The president also meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid an ongoing trade war having issued a threat to impose $300 billion in additional tariffs.
Trump also will talk to various leaders about tensions in the Middle East. He has demanded other nations do more to protect their own vessels in vital shipping lanes – after pulling back from a military strike on Iran that he said was just 30 minutes away from occurring.
Japan's Prime Ministser Shinzo Abe met recently with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and will try to seek avenues to diffuse tensions.
As if he doesn't have enough on his plate, Trump raised the stakes on his meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. He demanded India, a key strategic counterbalance to China and the world's largest democracy, take down retaliatory tariffs it imposed on U.S. goods.
'I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further,' he wrote from Air Force Once en route to Osaka. 'This is unacceptable and the Tariffs must be withdrawn!'
Trump has been more than willing to impose tariffs when he believes it's to his benefit in negotiations.
He tweeted in December: 'I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so. It will always be the best way to max out our economic power. We are right now taking in $billions in Tariffs. MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN'
He tweeted about India Wednesday just as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left New Delhi. The Trump administration last month took away trade benefits to India under the Generalized System of Preferences.
If Trump's initial posture appeared less than diplomatic, it may be in part to a symbolic and awkward State Department departure. The chief of protocol resigned on the eve of the trip following a possible internal probe into allegations of harassment in the office and carrying around a whip.
He has at least nine bilateral meetings scheduled, as well as other G20 activities.
First was a dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
He also meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Slaman of Saudi Arabia, and President Recip Erdogan of Turkey.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
