Trump's bromance with Egypt's president flourished in Saudi Arabia

President Trump laughs with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Saudi Arabia

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

published 22 May 2017

President Trump got a royal welcome in Saudi Arabia, his first journey abroad as president and the first stop on an eight-day tour of Europe and the Middle East. Along with meeting with King Salman and other members of the Saudi royal family, Trump also met individually and as a group with the leaders of several other majority-Muslim nations. His face-to-face with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi was particularly warm.

Sisi, who has already visited Trump at the White House, invited him to visit Egypt. "You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible," he added. "I agree," Trump replied, to laughter. Trump returned the compliment a few moments later. "Love your shoes," he said. "Boy, those shoes. Man!"

Trump's full schedule and maybe jet lag apparently took their toll, however. Trump did tour a new counter-extremism center, but he sent his daughter, Ivanka Trump, to take his place at a follow-up talk about how social media can help fight extremism. At his earlier speech on Islam, Trump went a bit off-script and used the phrases "Islamic extremism" and "Islamic terror" instead of "Islamist extremism," as written. An aide explained afterward that this wasn't an intentional policy shift, only that Trump was "just an exhausted guy" and had tripped over the words.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.