(NBC News) — President Donald Trump on Friday praised the U.S.-Japan relationship, calling the country an “important and steadfast ally.”
In his second joint press conference as president, this one with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Trump thanked Japan for “hosting” the U.S. military, though he did not mention making them pay more for U.S. defense as he suggested while campaigning for the presidency.
He did promise, however, that both countries will “invest heavily” to build up their defensive capabilities, which Trump says will ultimately “be impenetrable.”
Trump did not initially appear to be wearing a translator earpiece during Abe’s remarks, but he did nod along every so often.
In welcoming Abe to the “very famous White House,” President Trump exalted “the bond between our two nations and the friendship between our two peoples runs very, very deep.”
Both leaders offered praise for the other, avoiding comments when asked about potential points of policy dissension.
One of those such policies is the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Trump formally withdrew the United States from mere days after assuming office. But when asked his reaction to the United States pulling out of the deal, Abe said simply that he was “aware” of the Trump administration’s decision on the matter and said they will be discussing economic issues at a working lunch following the joint press conference.
Hanging over the presser was the recent legal blow dealt to President’s Trump’s immigration ban by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday night.
“We will be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country,” President Trump said. “You will be seeing that sometime next week.”
President Trump did note that he has learned “tremendous things” in his short period of time as president. Things that, he says, “You could only learn, frankly, if you were in a certain position, namely: president.” He did not describe what specific things he had learned, but did say that he feels “totally confident that we will have tremendous security for the people of the United states.”
Read more: http://nbcnews.to/2ke9TrT
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.