CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins is once again trying to attack President Donald Trump this week by alleging that he has “shifted” from wanting a so-called “Muslim ban in 2017” to embarking on an “extravagant whirlwind” trip of Arab nations.
With visits in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, Trump is just wrapping up a four-day tour of the Persian Gulf area. The trip has been marred by controversy due to Trump’s quick acceptance of a $400 million “flying palace” from Qatar to serve as Air Force One.
As he closes transactions in the area, Trump has been enjoying the royal treatment, while his family’s companies are doing the same.
Kaitlan Collins began his summary of the trip on Thursday night’s episode of CNN’s The Source by pointing out several historical inconsistencies with Trump’s present positive sentiments about the Gulf states:
KAITLAN COLLINS: It’s shortly before sunrise, here in Abu Dhabi, following another whirlwind day for President Trump. After stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the President arrived here, in the United Arab Emirates, for another elaborate reception.
On the way, the President made news on the stop that did not end up making his itinerary, Turkey, and a meeting with the Russian president.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK? And obviously he wasn’t going to go — he was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there. And I don’t believe anything is going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together. But we’re going to have to get it solved, because too many people are dying.
COLLINS: With Putin ultimately being a no-show, a chaotic scene played out in Turkey instead.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the President’s visit to the Middle East, we’ve just witnessed a pretty dramatic shift in tone when it comes to the isolationist aspect of his America First agenda.
He embraced the Emir of Qatar, after first blasting him, during his first term in office. Repeated today that he wanted to create a freedom zone by the U.S. in Gaza. And also touted his desire to play a role in mediating the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors of India and Pakistan.
In between those declarations, the President also spent the day being feted by another Gulf leader who very much speaks his language, when it comes to visuals, including a traditional hair-flip dance to welcome him to the presidential palace, drums and a military honor guar
d that were lined up for President Trump’s inspection as well.
And the same president who issued a travel ban on those majority Muslim countries, in 2017, when he first took office, removed his shoes today, as is customary, as he toured the Grand Mosque here, in Abu Dhabi, his first known visit to one as President, which he described as a, quote, Great tribute.
The deal of the day was a partnership to build a massive 10-mile data center to advance artificial intelligence, a sweeping project, and also the largest outside the United States.
