ELLESBOROUGH, England (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s trip to Europe (all times local): 8:20 p.m. President Donald Trump has arrived…
ELLESBOROUGH, England (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s trip to Europe (all times local):
8:20 p.m.
President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland, where he will spend the weekend at one of his private golf courses.
Aides say Trump will be spending the weekend preparing for his Monday summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But knowing Trump, it’s likely safe to assume he’ll also be playing some golf.
Trump owns two championship-level golf courses in Scotland, including the seaside Trump Turnberry on Scotland’s west coast.
He last visited Scotland in 2016, where he held a press conference commending the Brexit vote and took reporters on a tour by golf cart.
Trump is the first modern U. S. leader to maintain ownership and control over his private enterprises while in office, sparking concerns from ethics watchdogs. Trump has already twice referenced the club publicly during his visit to Europe.
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7:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their summit Monday at the presidential palace in Helsinki.
The Finnish government says the two leaders will be greeted by President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) at approximately 1 p.m. That’s 4 a.m. eastern time. Trump and Putin will hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a larger working lunch at the palace.
According to Niinistö’s office, Trump and Putin are to hold a joint press conference after their meetings.
The highly-anticipated meeting will come days after the U. S. Justice Department indicted Russian officials for allegedly hacking servers and accounts used by Trump’s rivals during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Niinistö will also hold bilateral meetings with both leaders Monday.
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President Donald Trump has departed Windsor Castle after tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
It was Trump’s first time meeting the monarch. He was accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump. Britain’s national news agency said they spent 47 minutes getting acquainted over tea inside the castle – 17 minutes longer than scheduled.
The president then returned to London by helicopter for the Air Force One flight to Scotland.
Trump and his wife planned a private weekend at his golf property in Glasgow before his meeting Monday in Finland with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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5:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II are getting acquainted over tea at Windsor Castle.
Towering over the queen, Trump and the monarch shared a few interactions Friday as they reviewed troops at the royal castle in Windsor.
The queen, the president and first lady Melania Trump all shook hands. « The Star-Spangled Banner » was then played and the queen guided the president on a review of the honor guard in the castle courtyard.
Carrying a handbag between herself and Trump, the pair did not appear to engage in conversation during the formal ceremony.
The heads of state are meeting over tea before Trump departs England for a weekend in Scotland.
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5:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump has attacked CNN, NBC News and the British tabloid The Sun on his trip to Britain.
During a news conference Friday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump attacked NBC’s Kristen Welker for what he called dishonest reporting following her question about relations with NATO.
He called out The Sun for supposedly not printing positive things he said about May during an earlier interview. The Sun said it wasn’t true.
And Trump refused to take a question from Jim Acosta, chief White House correspondent for CNN, saying he doesn’t answer questions from the « fake news » outlet.
Later, he answered a question from Acosta when the news conference broke up.
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5 p.m.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have arrived at Windsor Castle for a social visit with Queen Elizabeth II.
The monarch welcomed the American president in the courtyard of the royal castle.
A military band honored Trump with a Royal Salute before playing the U. S. National Anthem.
Trump and the queen are set to inspect the assembled honor guard before viewing a military « march past. » The Trumps and the queen are scheduled to spend about 30 minutes getting acquainted over tea inside the castle.
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3:50 p.m.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has given President Donald Trump an illustrated ancestral chart detailing his Scottish heritage dating to the birth of his great-great-great grandfather in 1776, when the U. S. declared its independence from Britain.
Trump’s mother, Mary Anne Macleod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides in Scotland. The chart uses official records and old parish registers to trace Trump’s ancestors. It is decorated with the Macleod family crest and its tartan.
May and her husband gave Melania Trump a custom-made perfume called The First Lady that was presented in a bottle engraved with her initials. It’s from the esteemed J Floris Ltd, which May’s office says has also made products believed to have been used by Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana.
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3:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump is suggesting that getting North Korea to disarm will take longer than anyone would like.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un committed to « complete denuclearization » at a summit last month, and Trump said Friday, « a lot of good things are happening. »
He cited a halt in North Korean nuclear and missile testing. He also said « some sites were blown up. »
But the president added: « It’s a process. It’s probably a longer process than anybody would like, but I’m used to long processes too. We haven’t taken off the sanctions, the sanctions are biting. »
Trump spoke at a news conference Friday alongside British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The U. S. and North Korea appear to have made little headway so far in implementing what was agreed at the summit.
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2:50 p.m.
Police in Helsinki say they have registered over a dozen demonstrations in connection with the summit by President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
The protests are spread throughout the weekend and Monday, police said Friday. The biggest one, dubbed « Helsinki Calling, » is expected to draw thousands of people on a march through the city Sunday afternoon.
Organizers say it would be a « peaceful, family-friendly and non-partisan » event not directed against either leader with an aim to manifest the importance of human rights and environmental issues among other themes.
A pro-Trump group called « Helsinki Loves Trump » with some 1,500 followers on Facebook said it wouldn’t demonstrate but rather hold a gathering of like-minded people Sunday.
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2:35 p.m.
President Donald Trump says Theresa May is an « incredible woman » who is « doing a fantastic job » as the British prime minister.
Trump commented as he sought to soften the blow after he criticized aspects of her leadership in an interview published Thursday by a British tabloid.
Trump says he’s gotten to know May much better over several days of meetings and socializing this week and says: « I think she’s a terrific woman. »
Trump spoke at a news conference with May following meetings at her official country estate outside of London.
Asked to rate U. S.-U. K. relations, Trump gave them the « highest level of special. »
Trump also reiterated that he thinks Boris Johnson would be a great prime minister. Johnson recently resigned as British foreign minister to protest May’s handling of Britain’s exit from the EU.
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2:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May are expressing differing views on the benefits of immigration to Europe.
Trump says during a joint news conference that immigration has been « very bad » for Europe and is changing the culture of the continent.
May says the United Kingdom has a « proud history » of welcoming people to its country, and immigration has been « good » for the U. K.
May says people of different backgrounds have contributed to her country’s society, but it’s important to have a « set of rules » when it comes to immigration.
The two leaders were asked about Trump’s interview with The Sun newspaper in which he argued that Europe is « losing its culture » because of immigration.
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2:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump says not to expect a « Perry Mason » moment when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet early next week.
Trump says he’ll raise the issue of Russian meddling in the 2016 U. S. presidential election with Putin. But he says he doesn’t think Putin will say « you got me. »
U. S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia meddled in the election to try to help Trump get elected. Putin denies interfering. Trump has also reiterated Putin’s denials.
Perry Mason was an attorney who defended falsely accused people in a long-running U. S. television drama that carried the character’s name.
Trump adds that he’ll discuss other issues with Putin, mentioning Ukraine, Syria, other areas of the Middle East and nuclear proliferation.
The leaders are scheduled to hold talks Monday in Helsinki.
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2:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump is asserting that he didn’t criticize British Prime Minister Theresa May during an interview this week with The Sun newspaper in which he questioned May’s handling of Brexit.
Trump says during a joint news conference with May: « I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. »
The president says the newspaper didn’t include the « tremendous things » he said about May in the interview.
Trump said May would make a decision on how to handle Brexit, but he wants to ensure the U. S. « can trade and we don’t have any restrictions » on commerce with the United Kingdom.
The two leaders say they hope to soon pursue a bilateral trade agreement.
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2:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump says the U. S. supports the British people’s decision to « realize full self-government » as it negotiates an exit from the European Union.
