President Trump has finally returned from his 12-day trip to Asia, to a tumultuous Washington, D.C.
The president gave updates from his trip to South Korea, China, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines, and said America’s standing in the world has never been better after his nearly two-week trip.
“The future has never looked brighter,” Mr. Trump said.
But much of the focus is all but certain to be on domestic politics. The president ignored shouted questions as he left the stage.
The president faces decisions about what to do with Roy Moore, the U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama accused of having inappropriate contact with underage girls when he was in his 30s. So far, the White House has said Moore should step aside if the allegations are true, but a growing number of Senate Republicans are dropping the qualifiers and simply urging Moore to drop out. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, has said the Senate should expel Moore if Alabama voters choose him over Democrat Doug Jones on Dec. 12.
The president also returns to the final stretch of the congressional tax debate, as Senate and House Republicans have emerged with plans that differ in their details. The Senate plan repeals the individual mandate requiring all to have insurance under Obamacare, while the House plan does not, among other discrepancies. Mr. Trump has said he wants to sign a tax bill by Christmas.
Mr. Trump also faces a plethora of new developments in the Russia investigation. Shortly before he left for Asia, his former campaign manager Paul Manafort and Manafort’s associate Rick Gates were charged with 12 counts, including conspiracy and money laundering. The public also learned another former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI earlier this year. Meanwhile, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation marches onward, and Mueller’s team is set to interview communications director Hope Hicks now that Mr. Trump has returned from his trip.