Trump changes stance on several campaign promises early in presidency

But on Wednesday, Trump had a different view: “They made a change and now they do fight terrorism”.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And you think that war going in the right direction, though?

Trump, who ran for the White House on a pledge to shake up the status quo in Washington, repeatedly lashed out at China during the campaign, accusing Beijing of being a “grand champion” of currency manipulation.

Observing that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries must work together to resolve the disaster now taking place in Syria, Trump appreciated the support of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members and partners in their condemnation of Assad’s murderous attack.

Trump had been eager to improve relations with Moscow and often expressed confidence that his ability to bond with Putin would ease friction between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s role in Syria and its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. If NATO was obsolete last week and essential this week, what will it be next week?

Another apparent dividend from the summit was that China on Wednesday abstained on a U.N. Security Council vote condemning Syria’s government for a chemical weapons attack last week.

He wrote, “this is my pledge to you”, and he signed it. He now says of the bank, which supports US exports, “Actually, it’s a very good thing”.

Given that, launching the so-called “mother of all bombs” against an ISIS target makes a lot of sense.

Mr Trump also appears to have grown fond of the US Export-Import Bank, which has been a rallying cry for conservatives who consider it a mechanism of crony capitalism.

Nearly immediately, the move drew praise from Sen. The president reversed himself dramatically by not naming China a currency manipulator.

Trump also appears to be learning on the job.

CORNISH: That’s NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Horsley. But he has continued to press for increased spending among member states and for more focus on terrorism, positions Stoltenberg said he was working to advance as well.

Mr. Trump appears to be proving him correct, as he falls in line with established USA policy on issue after issue.

These and other recent flipflops have soothed the nerves of many Republicans who anxious he was looking to upend too much of the status quo. The two authoritarian governments support each other on major foreign policy problems, dislike domestic protest and see the USA in a similar way.

The most significant part of the alliance can be found in Article V, which states that an attack against one member is an attack on all members.

One such promise was to move the USA embassy in Israel from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem – something that other United States presidential candidates over the past half-century have also promised, only to discover that the advantages are minimal, while the disadvantages remain huge. “It’s no longer obsolete”, Trump said. That changed Trump’s view of the group, Spicer said.

“I like her, I respect her”, Trump said, adding that they had met in the Oval Office since he became president. Beyond the expanding ledger of disagreements, Trump has limited ability to offer Moscow concessions at a time USA investigators are examining if Russian agents and Trump campaign associates colluded to help the billionaire businessman win last year’s presidential election.

And Trump, to his point on Twitter, has certainly not abandoned some of the most significant positions that won him the White House.

The press secretary offered a similar response when asked about the U.S. Export-Import Bank that Trump, as a candidate, called “unnecessary”. And it is something that he pointed out in the debate, the first debate in September of previous year. Trump’s more moderate daughter, Ivanka, has also been a key voice. Does the president think Russian Federation had advance warning of Syria’s chemical weapons attack last week?

And it changed the subject from the investigations into Russian interference – and possible collaboration with his campaign – in the USA election.