THE ACTIVE PRESIDENT – AT 12:45 P.M. ET:  While the mainstream media will not emphasize it, Trump is one of the most active presidents in memory, especially in foreign policy.  And he is being taken seriously by foreign countries.  From The Wall Street Journal: 

TOKYO—President Donald Trump said he expects to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two world leaders cross paths in Southeast Asia.

“It’s expected we’ll meet with Putin, yeah,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One before landing in the Japanese capital. “We want Putin’s help on North Korea, and we’ll be meeting with a lot of different leaders.”

The U.S. president is embarking on his first official trip to Asia, which begins Sunday with meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The trip ends with multinational conferences in Vietnam and the Philippines that Mr. Putin is also expected to attend.

During the flight to Tokyo from Honolulu, Mr. Trump said pressure on North Korea was his priority, and he also wanted to take steps to narrow U.S. trade deficits in Asia...

...On Air Force One, Mr. Trump pushed back on suggestions that he was at a disadvantage heading into Beijing later this week, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming off a successful Party Congress that has made him one of the most powerful leaders in his nation’s modern history.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s poll ratings are sagging, his former campaign manager has been indicted on a charge of tax evasion, and he has no major legislative victories.

Still, Mr. Trump projected an air of confidence aboard the presidential aircraft.

“Excuse me, so am I,” Mr. Trump said when told about Mr. Xi’s success. “Highest stock market in history, lowest unemployment in 17 years, a military that’s rapidly rebuilding, ISIS is virtually defeated in the Middle East. We are coming off some of the strongest numbers we’ve ever had, and he knows that and he respects that and he’s a friend of mine.”

COMMENT:  Mr. Trump's trip to the Mideast at the start of his administration was highly successful.  We hope the trip he's on now will top that.  But you won't hear it on CNN.

November 5, 2017