Veteran political analyst Mark Halperin said on Fox News Monday that President Donald Trump is pursuing three things on his Middle East tour, and all three are “on vivid display.”
Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, marking the first foreign trip of his second term and breaking tradition again by skipping the usual first stop in the United Kingdom. During an “Special Report with Bret Baier” appearance Monday, Halperin discussed what he said was the president’s strategic pivot away from traditional security-based alliances and toward bold economic diplomacy.
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“Donald Trump seeks out three things above all else. He seeks out power, news, and money, and all three are on vivid display on every stop of this trip. I think he talked about maybe going to Turkey if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky meet,” Halperin told Baier.
Trump’s itinerary, packed with business forums, energy negotiations, and defense discussions, mirrors what Halperin likened to a state-level economic mission.
“This trip is an opportunity to reorient away from a relationship the United States has had for decades based around security and energy, oil, and more towards the economy,” Halperin added. “And that’s what Donald Trump wants to do. He wants to be like a governor going on a trade mission and bring a lot home.”
Halperin said high-profile announcements and splashy investment pledges don’t guarantee results.
“I take the point made earlier: not all the money always shows up after these big splashy deals. The deliverables have to be delivered,” Halperin added.
Halperin discussed the potential for a diplomatic breakthrough during Trump’s trip.
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“Look, you’ve got back channeling going on. This is a very multifaceted foreign policy team, not just the national security advisor and the secretary of state — and now the same person — but also you’ve got the vice president, you’ve got the president himself, you’ve got Mr. [Steve] Witkoff [the U.S. special envoy], and you’ve got Jared Kushner lurking out there. And I think what the president believes is that this trip, by creating greater economic ties, can produce a diplomatic breakthrough,” Halperin said.
Beyond trade deals, Halperin said the tour could culminate in a headline-grabbing diplomatic moment.
“Lots of rumors on this street, here and in the Arab street, that there might be some sort of diplomatic breakthrough, either in the region or imagine how this trip, the exclamation point of this trip, if he does go to Turkey and sit with Zelensky and Putin,” Halperin said.
Trump said Monday he may travel to Turkey this week if his presence could aid planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking during a press event on drug pricing, Trump discussed his ongoing Middle East tour but did not confirm whether he would join the negotiations.
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Since launching his campaign, Trump has said he’ll end the global conflicts that intensified during the Biden-Harris years, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Tensions flared again in April as two Russian missile strikes hit northeastern Ukraine, killing 34 people.
In recent months, Witkoff has emerged as a key player in behind-the-scenes negotiations between Washington and Moscow over possible investments in Arctic projects and Russian rare earth minerals. Ukrainian representatives also met with U.S. officials in April to revisit a new mineral agreement after an earlier deal between Trump and Zelenskyy collapsed in February.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
