Greenland is a territory of Denmark. The government of Greenland replied, “We have a good cooperation with USA…Of course, Greenland is not for sale.” The Danish PM also unequivocally rejected the idea. Trump took offense to the Danish PM’s “nasty” response.
NPR – No Joke: Trump Really Does Want To Buy Greenland
The New York Times – Trump’s Interest in Buying Greenland Seemed Like a Joke. Then It Got Ugly.
As proof he knew more about trade than Mitt Ronmey, who had raised concerns about Trump’s views, he a Gucci store he owned on 5th Avenue in Manhattan and that was worth “from $400 million to a billion-two,” more than Romney’s net worth.
Romney had called Trump a “phony” and a “fraud.”
In another instance, he called NATO “as bad as NAFTA,” likening a mutual defense pact with allies to unrelated trade agreement.
Real Clear Politics – Trump: I Own A Store In Manhattan Worth More Than Mitt Romney
When Trump was asked who he was consulting with on foreign policy, he could only specify himself. Of any others, he said, “I listen to a lot of people, I talk to a lot of people, and at the appropriate time I’ll tell you who the people are, but I speak to a lot of people, but my primary consultant is myself, and I have a good instinct for this stuff.”
Trump went on to make similar remarks about his “large brain” after becoming President.
Politico – Trump: I consult myself on foreign policy
The Hill – Trump’s top foreign policy advisor? ‘I’m speaking with myself’
Trump said, “I’ve always liked American wines better than French wines. Even though I don’t drink wine. I just like the way they look.”
Trump explained to donors that when he was told by the Prime Minister that the US didn’t have in fact have a trade deficit with Canada, he said:
“‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong.'”
CBS News – Trump tells donors he made up trade claim in Trudeau talk
The New York Times – Trump Says He Made Up Deficit Claim in Talk with Trudeau, Baffling Canadians
The Washington Post – In fundraising speech, Trump says he made up trade claim in meeting with Justin Trudeau
During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, when asked about his tariffs, Trump said, “We don’t have any tariffs. I didn’t put tariffs. Where do we have tariffs? We don’t have tariffs anywhere.”
Hours before sitting down with the reporters, Trump tweeted about billions’ of dollars worth of tariffs.
The Wall Street Journal – Transcript of President Trump’s Interview With The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal – ‘Where Do We Have Tariffs?’ Trump Asks. Here’s a List
Reason – Do Trump’s Tariffs Actually Exist?
There have been multiple reports on how Trump communicates via unsecured lines, especially among his inner circle, because using secure methods is too great an inconvenience. Intelligence analysts believe Russia or other foreign powers could use these conversations against both America’s foreign policy and Trump individually, and have detected signs of such spying.
Particular concern has been raised about the Kremlin listening in on conversations between Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani regarding communications to the Ukrainian President over military aid for defense from Russia. White House officials have stated that Trump makes such calls regularly.
Politico – ‘Too inconvenient’: Trump goes rogue on phone security
The New York Times – When Trump Phones Friends, the Chinese and the Russians Listen and Learn
The Washington Post – Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say
Independent – Trump ‘routinely’ made sensitive calls on lines open to Russian surveillance, White House officials say
The Washington Post – Phone logs in impeachment report renew concern about security of Trump communications
The salute came during a historic 2018 summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un held in Singapore.
The North Korean officer saluted Trump and offered his hand for a shake. Trump returned the salute before shaking hands.
The scene was circulated by North Korean state media. The subsequent photo appeared especially egregious, as it implied that Trump’s salute was unprompted.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in Trump’s defense,
It’s a common courtesy when a military official from another government salutes that you return that.
Trump said of the historic meeting that he didn’t need preparation or notes, due to it being all about “attitude” and his having “one of the greatest memories.” He also asked the press to ensure that he and Kim looked “nice and thin and perfect.”
The Hill – North Korea state TV airs footage of Trump saluting North Korean military officer
Business Insider – Vladimir Putin refused a salute from a North Korean general, which Trump controversially accepted
Politico – Trump faces backlash after saluting North Korean general
The New York Times – White House Defends Trump’s Salute to a North Korean Military Officer
NBC News – North Korean state media footage shows Trump saluting NK general
At a 2018 NATO conference while discussing with other heads of state the processes by which they would need to raise more money for the mutual defense pact, Trump reportedly praised Turkish leader Erdogan.
Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and a CBS News senior global affairs contributor, described what he witnessed backstage at the conference:
Trump was very frustrated; he wasn’t getting commitments from other leaders to spend more. Many of them said, ‘Well, we have to ask our parliaments. We have a process; we can’t just tell you we’re going to spend more, we have a legal process.’
Trump turns around to the Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, and says, ‘Except for Erdogan over here. He does things the right way,’ and then actually fist-bumps the Turkish president.
Erdogan has censored the press and social media, engaged in purges against opposition, and jailed Turkish citizens for voicing dissent.
CBS News – Trump fist-bumped Turkish leader Erdogan, said he “does things the right way”
Eurasia Group – With flattery and a fist-bump, Trump endorses strongmen like never before
Wikipedia – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Authoritarianism
