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Donald Trump begins his first international tour on Friday with the objectives of proposing an "Arab NATO" and connecting with his European allies. EFE/Michael Reynolds
Donald Trump begins his first international tour on Friday with the objectives of proposing an "Arab NATO" and connecting with his European allies. EFE/Michael Reynolds

Lamp in the street, darkness in the house: President Trump’s first trip abroad

Leaving the White House in one of the most critical circumstances over the last few decades, President Donald Trump has kicked off his first trip overseas, as…

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In another "Nixonian" gesture, President Trump has organized a small international tour, recalling former President Richard Nixon's famous trip to the Middle East and Europe in June 1974, weeks before resigning from his post as president.

The new President's agenda includes a series of diplomatic scales including Saudi Arabia and Israel to visit the origins and "holy sites" of the three major faiths in the world: Jewish, Christian and Muslim, said National Security Advisor, HR McMaster.

This will be his “debut” trip, where he’ll have to manage a politically complex itinerary, which will test his - already proven - diplomatic inexperience.

But this experience could not be so disastrous if, despite the unpredictability of the President's character, his management could be shaped by an international policy that expects of him much more than a good dealer.

His first scenario is quite particular, for addressing a largely Muslim Arab community such as Saudi Arabia not only raises a paradox with regard to the anti-immigrant and racist stances of the President's official order - that authorized the immigration ban to Muslim-majority countries - but demonstrates that the fact that Saudi Arabia was not included in the list of banned countries means the President's compass is still magnetized only towards business.

The strategic advantage of the President's trip to the Arab countries is represented by the alliance between the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel, despite the conflict of interest that might arise if the allegations about the confidential information supposedly leaked by the President to Russia prove to be true - considering that for Israel, that would be counterproductive.

But the campaign behind Trump's trip continues to rely on the classic "enemy" speech and "return to security". As David Urban, the president's campaign leader, told CNN: "The president is going to the Middle East to let our friends know that we are back and to let our enemies know that we have returned."

The best way to demonstrate that "we are back" is a presumed massive arms deal in Saudi Arabia, as well as a meeting with leaders of Muslim majority nations (those countries whose citizens are detained on immigration when attempting to enter the United States), to discuss "the projection of Iran’s power in the region," according to the report.

Trump will also have to demonstrate during his tour through Belgium and Italy, the arguments behind his isolationist policies and the prospects he might have with regard to the European Community and NATO, whom he would have attacked during his electoral speech.

According to CNN, in Europe they are especially worried about whether "Trump will get out of the Paris climate agreement and want to prove his true feelings towards Russia, something that is seen as a threat in much of the continent."

One of the most anticipated events of President Trump's trip will be the meeting with the new President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who heads a reform movement considered to be "rational and centrist," quite opposed to what the US President represents, according to The Daily Beast.

But his absence from the White House will not stop the maze he left behind. During his trip, a special lawyer will be requesting the Senate vote to initiate an investigation that suspects the existence of links between the new administration and Moscow; the general displeasure of the nation against his performance is around 56% and his great electoral promises, such as the border wall, are moving further away from the picture.

While being a President represents a great responsibility and perhaps a change of air is good for those who support the weight, the risk of abandoning a scenario as tense as that of the White House today could have some –again - "Nixonian" consequences.

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