Trump Has Ivanka and Jared Take Over His Duties
Air travel can really take it out of a person, from the jetlag to the limited leg room to that terribly dry recycled air. No one is immune to that groggy, uncomfortable feeling - not even the President of the United States, apparently. Just one day into his first trip abroad, President Donald Trump is "exhausted," say White House officials.
Over the next week, Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, and more. At his first stop in Saudi Arabia, he gave a speech asking Middle Eastern leaders to "extinguish Islamic extremism." Referring to terrorist behavior or beliefs as Islamic (as opposed to Islamist) is a tiny but important gaffe on Trump's part; the adjective "Islamic" here suggests the religion itself inherently promotes extreme or violent beliefs, while "Islamist" would refer to those who use Islam as a reasoning for their own beliefs. Twice Trump used Islamic when his prepared remarks said "Islamist."
"Just an exhausted guy," a senior White House official told the Associated Press when they asked about the mistake. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also addressed Trump's rumored sleepiness: "He's doing better than I am. And he's got a few years on me."
Due to the exhaustion, Trump abruptly canceled an appearance on his second day in Saudi Arabia: He was scheduled to speak to young people at a forum discussing social-media extremism. He sent his daughter Ivanka Trump in his place. It's the second time Ivanka has stepped in for a political appearance in less than a week, as she recently spoke to members of Congress on his behalf about human trafficking.
All eyes have been on Trump to see how he would handle his first foreign trip, and any strange behavior is ripe for criticism. Still, canceling events one day into an itinerary isn't the strongest way to show the world how well the administration is going.
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