Trump to embark on high-stakes 8-day trip abroad


President Trump sets off on Friday for his first foreign tour since taking office, making five stops in four countries over eight days.
Joined by first lady Melania Trump and a large retinue of advisers, Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, and Belgium. The agenda includes attending the NATO and G7 summits; meetings with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Pope Francis; a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron; several state dinners; and tours of the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and St. Peter's Basilica.
After a tumultuous 10 days, which included the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the report that Trump gave away highly classified information to Russian officials, the stakes are high and "it's kind of do-or-die" for both Trump and his staff, one White House official told CNN.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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