From Washington to Riyadh and Jerusalem up to Taormina – the US President travels the world and the correspondents who report on the White house to travel with. For the DW Alexandra of Opinions.
A correspondent, who is with the U.S. President should follow a principle: to Sleep and eat whenever it is possible. “You don’t know when there is a chance,” advises a colleague that has accompanied Barack Obama, right from the start. I’m going to follow his advice. Quickly, however, becomes clear to us all that Donald Trump strip, with its first Foreign still work a little bit harder to place.
Riyadh, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Rome, Brussels, and finally Taormina – for Trump, this is a journey far away from the problems at home. We are witnessing a President who acts like a Driven and an ambitious amount of travelling is not completed, even though he travels but really liked. The addict seems to be recognition, encouragement and beautiful pictures. In the middle of his usually unsuspecting press stuck people and we, the haunted and correspondents.
The Pomp Of Saudi Arabia
When we arrive after a 16-hour flight in the middle of the night in the Riad, gives us the White house only a little sleep. Who wants to be there when the President of king Salman will be officially welcomed, it must be six o’clock, ready to leave.
Excited – Donald Trump on arrival in Saudi Arabia
What follows are first, long Wait at the airport and then a truly pompous welcoming ceremony – according to the taste of Donald trump. We would like to see also a Briefing of the content of the trip.
Instead, there is a short time before his keynote speech in Riyadh a few snippets of text via Email. It is a powerful speech that identifies the principles of the new, “America First,” based on US foreign policy under Trump, and the strikes to his anti-Islamic Statements in the past, a conciliatory tone. The President but deviates here and there from his script, as it is called later.
He speaks repeatedly of Islamic, not Islamist terrorism. A small but significant difference. Than this to the subject of our reporting – in the case of the DW, in the Washington Post and other media, I fear that it will have consequences. Before the next major speech – this time in Jerusalem – there is no pre-widely used extracts.
An orphaned console
Again and again we bomb the spokesman of the President with questions, again and again, we ask for more information. However, the lectern, including the American flag, which is set up at most of the stations of the journey, remains mostly deserted. Trump’s press staff, which seems to be sometimes like to escape, can be sorry.
Orphan lectern – Trumps travel abroad to feel the fellow journalists insufficiently
Clearly, it’s press conferences, for example, with the foreign Minister, Rex Tillerson. There is a Briefing with spokesman Sean Spicer, a background conversation with trump’s foreign and security policy advisers. But for questions there are – if at all – usually only a little time. Not everything that is said proves to be true. And the President, not even our questions.
An unpredictable President
He is unpredictable, to say American journalists-colleagues, many of them veterans in the White house. Shortly before his visit to Brussels, the New York Times reported citing a high-ranking Advisor of the US President during the solemn ceremony of the new NATO headquarters is quite clear to NATO obligation to provide assistance will confess. This does not happen, however. Instead, Donald Trump talks about how much money the Alliance will cost the American taxpayers.
Rank and file: The jobs for the Press corps
The NATO partners roll their eyes. The author of the New York Times article, is sitting next to me is pale. A deliberate deception or a change of heart? “After all, You did not pointed out in your article that the President changes his mind as well as his speeches frequently at short notice,” I remarked appreciatively. “Thank God I have added this Passage to the article,” he says relieved.
The desire for answers
Shortly thereafter, we are already back to the airport on the way. Without a passport or security control. The Bus departs directly from the NATO headquarters to the aircraft. During the travels, a part of the press aboard the Air Force One with the President, fly the other with a chart of the machine in advance or afterward. There are different Teams who are involved in various appointments of the President. You provide the other with information, quotes or impressions. Everyone wants and strives to be at as many appointments.
Again and again the criticism is loud. We need more access to the President, to criticize the members of the correspondent Association in the White house. And yet, would dispense with hardly anyone on the trip. It provides a unique insight into the Interior of the Trump Administration, to bear their own claims, deficiencies and the apparent inability to criticism.
And then there are the moments in which you are bags exhausted on his airplane seat in the Economy class of the press machine, and a friendly voice will hear: “you look like you need a Dose of extra energy,” says the Stewardess, and me a tray full of sweets in front of the nose. And the fellow in the range of murmurs in front of me: “He’s got to be at the end of the trip is a PK.”