The Latest: Trump tamps down expectations of US-Japan deal

U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the Haneda International Airport Saturday, May 25, 2019, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, Pool)




The Latest on President Donald Trump’s trip to Japan (all times local):

8:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is tamping down expectations that he’ll make significant headway on trade talks during his trip to Japan. Fox News White House Correspondent John Roberts tweets that Trump called him Sunday morning in Tokyo and told him that, while he and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be discussing trade during meetings Sunday and Monday, Trump intends to wait until after Japan’s July elections to push for a deal.

Trump had told business leaders after arriving in Tokyo Saturday evening that the U.S. and Japan are “hard at work” negotiating a new bilateral trade agreement that he said would benefit both countries. Trump said that he hopes the new deal will address a trade imbalance, remove barriers to U.S. exports, and ensure fairness and reciprocity in the relationship.




8:08 a.m.

President Donald Trump is downplaying recent North Korean missile tests, tweeting from Tokyo that they’re not a concern for him — even though they are for Japan. Trump says, “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me.” That message appears to contradict Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, who told reporters Saturday the short-range missile tests are a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Trump says “he has confidence” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “will keep his promise to me.” He’s also embracing Kim’s attack on a Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump tweeted early Sunday before joining Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a game of golf and attending a sumo wrestling match.

Source: Associated Press