The article revisits President Trump's upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, nearly eight years after the surreal moment of The Orb with world leaders. It highlights lasting themes from that first visit, including Trump's consistent support for Israel, affinity for authoritarian regimes, and focus on geopolitical deals over human rights. The article also notes the anxiety among European allies about the implications of these visits as Trump's foreign policy strategies seem to remain unchanged over the years.
Photos and videos of the scene immediately went viral and... evoked either the bridge of a sleek Star Trek spaceship or a summit of James Bond supervillains.
Many of the same themes that defined the president's 2017 visit remain pertinent now: Trump's support for Israel, his fondness for authoritarians, his push to contain Iran, and his prioritization of deals over humanitarian concerns.
For all the spectacle of that first trip, its true revelation was Trump's refusal to say the things that American presidents normally say.
Now, as then, European allies are watching nervously.
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