Trump arrives in Italy to meet Pope Francis, Italian leaders

[webfact]

Trump arrives in Italy to meet Pope Francis, Italian leaders

 

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, May 23, 2017. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

 

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Italy on Tuesday ahead of meetings with Pope Francis and Italian leaders, on the third leg of his first international trip since taking office.

 

Trump's meeting with the head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics on Wednesday comes after the pair sparred at a distance on issues including migration, climate change and Islam.

 

Air Force One arrived from Israel at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport, where Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano.

 

The pair were then driven to the central Rome residence of the U.S. ambassador - a post to which Trump is yet to name anyone. They had no official engagements on Tuesday evening.

 

Trump is due to spend less than 24 hours in Italy before flying to Brussels for talks with European Union and NATO chiefs. He will return to Italy on Thursday for a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations in Sicily.

 

Officials from the other six nations have been alarmed by some of Trump's statements including his support for trade protectionism, criticism of climate change policies, and anti-migrant rhetoric.

 

Around 100 mainly U.S. expats voiced their own concerns in a square in Rome on Tuesday evening, chanting, "Love trumps hate", "Education not deportation" and "Trump, you're fired".

 

The former real estate tycoon started his tour of the Middle East and Europe in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He has spent the last two days in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

 

The White House hopes the ambitious multi-nation trip, which ends on May 27, will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to foreign policy.

 

After his encounter with the pope, Trump will hold brief talks with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Melania Trump is due to visit a Vatican-owned children's hospital while Ivanka Trump will meet victims of human trafficking and the Sant'Egidio community of activist Catholics.

 

Massive security precautions have been taken in Rome, with the areas around the presidential palace, Vatican City, the American ambassador's residence and the U.S. embassy temporarily closed to traffic.

 

(Reporting by Isla Binnie; Additional reporting by Antonio Denti; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Tom Heneghan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-24

[soalbundy]

Tomorrows headlines, 'Pope blesses an orange'

[dunroaming]

The main point of interest now is whether Melania will let Trump hold her hand in public?  Seems that she has finally realised what an embarrassment he is and is trying to distance herself from him. Holding his hand would indicate her support for him and I would think that is the last thing she wants to do.   I like her more and more everyday, she is far more presidential than he could ever be!

 

Of course we will now have the joy of watching Donald kiss the pope's ring.....  Can't wait for that!

[helpisgood]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

The main point of interest now is whether Melania will let Trump hold her hand in public?  Seems that she has finally realised what an embarrassment he is and is trying to distance herself from him. Holding his hand would indicate her support for him and I would think that is the last thing she wants to do.   I like her more and more everyday, she is far more presidential than he could ever be!

 

Of course we will now have the joy of watching Donald kiss the pope's ring.....  Can't wait for that!

Yes, I see your point.  Trump can be so embarrassing in public and now he's going to meet the Pope!  And, this pope seems to be a more popular one.  

 

You may have already heard how Trump told a group of Israelis in Israel that he had just gotten back from the Middle East.  How can a US president get that wrong?  It's like a comedy sketch. 

 

Maybe Melania will help him when he meets the Pope like the time she had to nudge her husband, the President of the USA, to remind him to put his hand on his heart for the national anthem.  And, Melania is not the one who was born and raised in the USA. 

 

Hopefully, Trump knows the Pope is a Roman Catholic. 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by helpisgood
paragraph added

[JHolmesJr]

13 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

You may have already heard how Trump told a group of Israelis in Israel that he had just gotten back from the Middle East.  How can a US president get that wrong?  

 

should he have said he was coming from Cancun?

 

Its all over the tv.

 

This is the sort of PC BS he ran against.

Edited May 24, 2017 by JHolmesJr

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, dunroaming said:

The main point of interest now is whether Melania will let Trump hold her hand in public?  Seems that she has finally realised what an embarrassment he is and is trying to distance herself from him. Holding his hand would indicate her support for him and I would think that is the last thing she wants to do.   I like her more and more everyday, she is far more presidential than he could ever be!

 

Of course we will now have the joy of watching Donald kiss the pope's ring.....  Can't wait for that!

He'll swallow it

[helpisgood]

15 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

should he have said he was coming from Cancun?

 

Its all over the tv.

 

This is the sort of PC BS he ran against.

How can someone just get back from the place they are already in?  So, if he's in Los Angeles, should he say that he just got back from California?   

 

It has nothing to do with being PC or anything else to do with politics.  It was merely a stupid thing to say. 

 

He could have said that he had just gotten back from Saudi Arabia.     

[dunroaming]

On 5/24/2017 at 5:16 PM, soalbundy said:

He'll swallow it

Well I am sure the Pope won't swallow anything that Trump has to say.  Looking at the two of them together it is clear what the pontiff thinks of the President!  What's the Italian for <deleted>?

[soalbundy]

On 5/24/2017 at 8:10 PM, dunroaming said:

Well I am sure the Pope won't swallow anything that Trump has to say.  Looking at the two of them together it is clear what the pontiff thinks of the President!  What's the Italian for <deleted>?

''blessed are the oranges for they shall inherit the fruitcakes.''

''Thank you your holiness, I've never looked at it that way, we have just had a fantastic conversation and things are going to be incredible from now on, put a word in for me upstairs would you, you know about the wall and all''. 

[Dumbastheycome]

I  like the  "encounter"  versus  " meeting"  wording. 

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

I  like the  "encounter"  versus  " meeting"  wording. 

apparently they had a frosty first meeting

[Dumbastheycome]

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

apparently they had a frosty first meeting

No  surprise  if  that  is  permafrost  !  

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, soalbundy said:

He'll swallow it

Instant analysis. Sorry Pope its plated. 

[Kabula]

Waste of time in my opinion.

[Thakkar]

15 hours ago, soalbundy said:

apparently they had a frosty first meeting

 

Worst ABBA tribute act ever:

 

[Thakkar]

In 2013:

 

Donald J. Trump (‪@realDonaldTrump‬)

26/12/13, 02:37

The new Pope is a humble man, very much like me, which probably explains why I like him so much!

 

[soalbundy]

6 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

 

Worst ABBA tribute act ever:

 

The only one grinning is the orange, he has that guilty look of, 'I've just filled my pants bigly''

[Thakkar]

12 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

The only one grinning is the orange, he has that guilty look of, 'I've just filled my pants bigly''

 

Antonio Šećerović (@antsecerovic)

24/5/2017, 4:23 PM

That face expression from the pope says everything @POTUS @Pontifex #Trump #PopeFrancis  pic.twitter.com/CRPzX1s69k

 

https://twitter.com/antsecerovic/status/867309956571201537/video/1

Edited May 25, 2017 by Thakkar

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, Thakkar said:

 

Worst ABBA tribute act ever:

 

Italian press are already taking the p**s saying that Melania and Ivanka look like two Sicilian widows out of the 19th century and their dress sense was ridiculous. I note that they cover their heads for the Pope but did not think the Saudi's deserved the same. That will not go unnoticed in Saudi. I personally thing covering the head should not be done, but when dealing with two leaders of two of the biggest religions in the world, you need a bit of consistency. Maybe the 'Don' was watching the Godfather in flight to top up his understanding of Italian culture and thought this gave the right image to the Italians. I wonder if he introduced himself as President Don Corleone?

 

The Pope does not look particularly happy after that meeting does he, and Melania looks decidedly concerned.  Looks like the Addams family hit the Vatican.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Andaman Al

[Andaman Al]

21 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

should he have said he was coming from Cancun?

 

Its all over the tv.

 

This is the sort of PC BS he ran against.

No, he should have said he had come from Saudi Arabia, as if nobody knew where he had come from anyway. A President who had a 90 car security convoy and the Israeli Prime Minister thinks 'I wonder where he is flying in from? Nobody seems to know' - Oh president Trump you were already in the Middle East! Really?  What Trump did was small talk another nations leaders, you small talk people who you are trying to sell a house to, not world leaders.  

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, Thakkar said:

 

Antonio Šećerović (@antsecerovic)

24/5/2017, 4:23 PM

That face expression from the pope says everything @POTUS @Pontifex #Trump #PopeFrancis  pic.twitter.com/CRPzX1s69k

 

https://twitter.com/antsecerovic/status/867309956571201537/video/1

He has just caught a whiff of it.

[uptheos]

Melania is great, no head covering in Saudi,should be the idol of all women and doesn't she carry herself graciously?

Trumps getting around, meeting lots of people. A 300 billion contract from Saudi isn't bad for American jobs. No point in being PC about human rights, not going to change them, so take the money and hope they can do something about Iran.

Everyone in office meets the Pope at some time or another, nice to see Melania covering her head, big message there.

[Andaman Al]

14 minutes ago, uptheos said:

Everyone in office meets the Pope at some time or another, nice to see Melania covering her head, big message there.

There sure is, it is like sticking the bird up at the Arabs/Muslims. Lets see if that 300 Bill deal really comes off now 

[Thakkar]

1 hour ago, Andaman Al said:

Looks like the Addams family hit the Vatican.

 

[JHolmesJr]

1 hour ago, Andaman Al said:

There sure is, it is like sticking the bird up at the Arabs/Muslims. Lets see if that 300 Bill deal really comes off now 

LOL…you want her to wear a christian veil when in arabia…..she follows her faith not the PC norms dictated by the likes of you.

[thaihome]

There is undoubtedly no two world leaders more opposite then Trump and Francis.  Unfortunately only one of them actually realizes that.

TH 

[Thakkar]

 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Is that traditional womans wear to go see his Holiness? Creepy. What Melania came off the plane in Saudi looked like a burqa minus the hood but Ivanka was in a cheery dress with ankles showing, not trad.

The pope asked Melania what she was feeding him? A fat joke on the President?






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

LOL…you want her to wear a christian veil when in arabia…..she follows her faith not the PC norms dictated by the likes of you.

Don't go there. With her background and current life, Melania follows her 'faith' as much as her husband would follow the 'how to implement ethical practices in Business' weekly blog.

[Thakkar]

Heather Rinkus, the guest reception manager at Trump's Mar-a-Lago is in Italy with Trump’s logistics team and has been outfitted with a government-issued phone and email.

 

Rinkus is married to a twice-convicted felon, Ari Rinkus, who is known to brag about his wife's access to the president as he trawls for investors and pursues government contracts on behalf of a foreign company, BuzzFeed News previously detailed.

 

A top Mar-a-Lago employee is also working for the government to help prepare for President Trump's visit to Taormina, Italy, for the G-7 Summit — an unconventional arrangement that further blurs the line between the president's business empire and the White House.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tariniparti/a-top-mar-a-lago-employee-is-quietly-doing-government-work?utm_term=.bexOBamNd0#.tp4bgYAy2V