Trump greets Japan's prime minister at Mar-a-LagoJapanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe just arrived at Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where the two will meet about North Korea.
This is Prime Minister Abe's second trip to Mar-a-Lago. A refresher on what happened the last time.
President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have developed a close relationship: Not only was Abe the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his November 2016 victory, he was the first to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago after becoming President.
Here's what happened during their first Mar-a-Lago meeting, in February 2017:
During dinner, a call to President Trump came in: North Korea had launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile, its first challenge to international rules since Trump was sworn in three weeks earlier.
Trump took the call on a mobile phone at his table, which was set squarely in the middle of the private club's dining area. As Mar-a-Lago's wealthy members looked on from their tables, and with a keyboard player crooning in the background, Trump and Abe's evening meal quickly morphed into a strategy session, the decision-making on full view to fellow diners, who described it in detail to CNN.
Why Trump is in Florida this weekPresident Trump traveled to South Florida yesterday for a roundtable on his tax cut plan. He's at his Mar-a-Lago resort today and tomorrow for a two-day visit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Trump tweeted about that meeting this morning:
What to expect out of the Trump-Abe summit:The two men are also expected to discuss the "maximum pressure" campaign on North Korea ahead of Trump's expected meeting with Kim Jong Un this spring.
But it could be a little awkward: After staking out a hawkish position on North Korea, Abe was caught on the back foot when Trump announced he was open to a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Tokyo's previous warnings not to trust Pyongyang have been dropped as both Washington and Seoul barreled forward with engagement. Abe is now seeking a summit with Kim for himself, rather than be further left out of North Asia's rapidly changing political situation.
While Abe had cultivated close ties with Trump, becoming the first foreign leader to meet him after his election, he has also faced disputes with the US leader over trade.