President Trump met with U. S. and Japanese troops and golfed with Japan’s prime minister on the first day of his five-country Asia tour.
President Trump kicked off his Asia tour Sunday with a warning that the U. S. will use its military might, if necessary, to fend off hostile threats.
« No one — no dictator, no regime and no nation — should underestimate, ever, American resolve, » Trump told U. S. and Japanese troops, assembled inside a flag-draped aircraft hangar at the Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. « We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defense of our people, our freedom and our great American flag. »
It was a message aimed, at least in part, at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose aggressive nuclear and missile tests are expected to be a major focus of the president’s trip.
In South Korea, Trump will visit Camp Humphreys, a newly-expanded military base that will ultimately house many of the 28,500 U. S. troops on the peninsula. The $11 billion base was largely paid for by South Korea. The White House wants to showcase the garrison as a positive example of « burden sharing. »
« Free nations must be strong nations and we welcome it when our allies — from Europe to Asia — renew their commitment to peace through strength, » Trump told service members, after swapping his suit coat for a leather bomber jacket.
