Domestic uproar threatens to overshadow first foreign trip for Donald Trump

WASHINGTON DC: With turmoil enveloping his administration at home, President Donald Trump headed abroad on Friday for a trip the White House hopes will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.

Trump left for Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon and will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip is billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world’s major religions while creating face time with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.

But a political uproar in Washington over Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey, allegations that he pressed Comey to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and the subsequent appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and potential ties with Trump’s campaign threaten to overshadow his trip.

“We look forward to getting this whole situation behind us,” the Republican president told a news conference at the White House on Thursday.

The sojourn abroad, his first foreign trip since taking office in January, may or may not help.

Trump is expected to be welcomed warmly by leaders in Riyadh and Jerusalem, but lingering questions about his views on the Iran nuclear deal, commitment to NATO security and scepticism of the Paris climate agreement could generate tension at meetings with European counterparts in Brussels and Sicily.

“Whether by accident or design, this will help him in terms of Russia news for a while,” said Republican strategist Charlie Black.