President Trump met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump’s labor secretary pick withdrew his nomination. Here’s a rundown of what happened and why it matters.
Trump builds relationship with Israel
Trump announced in a joint press conference from the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday the United States would would push for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump also asked Israel to “hold back” on building additional settlements.
This was the leaders’ first face-to-face meeting since the inauguration.
“The United States will encourage a peace and really a great peace deal. We’ll be working on it very diligently,” Trump said. “But it is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement.”
Trump said in order for Israel to broker this deal, it will have to be flexible and make it apparent that they want to make a deal. and “they have to show they really want to make a deal.”
For the Palestinians, Trump said they must also be flexible. He added, they would “have to get rid of some of the hate that they’re taught from a very young age.”
The leaders also discussed their allegiance to one another in the fight against “radical islam.”
“Israel has no better ally than the United States, and I want to assure you the United States has no better ally than Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Trump calls Flynn “wonderful man”
Though Trump asked for Flynn’s resignation Monday after he misled Vice President Mike Pence regarding sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Trump still has a positive opinion of the former national security adviser.
“General Flynn is a wonderful man. I think he has been treated very, very unfairly by the media, as I call it, the fake media, in many cases,” Trump said. “And I think it is really a sad thing that he was treated so badly.”
Labor secretary nominee withdraws
Andrew Puzder, Trump’s nominee for secretary of labor and CEO of fast food restaurants Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., withdrew himself from the confirmation process Wednesday.
Puzder came under fire from Democrats after it came to light that he employed an undocumented immigrant housekeeper, according to CNN.
“After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor,” Puzder said in a statement Wednesday. “I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America’s workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity.”
