Trump calls Trudeau 'two-faced' after world leaders appear to joke about US President - CNN

"He's two-faced," Trump said, adding, "honestly with Trudeau, he's a nice guy."

The video appeared to show British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte having a laugh about Trump's behavior during the summit.

The 25-second clip, which has gone viral and was first reported by CBC, begins with Johnson asking Macron why he was late.

"Is that why you were late?" Johnson asked.

Macron nodded, as Trudeau replied, "He was late because he takes a ... 40-minute press conference at the top."

At no time in the video do the leaders mention Trump by name, but Trudeau's comment appeared to reference Trump's lengthy remarks to the press during their earlier meeting on Tuesday.

None of them seemed to be aware that the conversation was being recorded, although they were talking openly and loudly enough to be heard by others.

"You just watched his team's jaws drop to the floor," Trudeau also appears to say at one point, though it's not clear which team he was referring to.

Microphones could only pick up snippets of the conversation at the reception, which the press was given limited access to.

A spokeswoman for Macron at the Elysée Palace told CNN they had "no comment. This video does not say anything special." A spokesman for Trudeau told CNN they also had no comment to make, and a spokesperson for Rutte also told CNN they do not comment on closed-door sessions.

Clash with Macron

Trump spent Tuesday in meetings in London headlined by a clash with a key ally, France. He met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Macron and Trudeau, making extended remarks and taking questions from the press on each occasion.

Trump's one-on-one meeting with Macron was remarkably tense as the French President refused to back down from remarks that Trump called "nasty" and "insulting." Last month, Macron had described NATO as suffering from "brain death" caused by American indifference to the long-time alliance.

But the two leaders appeared to be on good terms as they walked onto the road leading to 10 Downing Street together for another reception following the gathering at the palace. It appeared that Trump had given Macron a lift in his motorcade vehicle commonly referred to as "the beast."

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Kaitlan Collins and Paula Newton contributed to this report.

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2019-12-04 13:14:00Z
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Candid video appears to show Trudeau, Macron and Johnson joking about Trump - The Washington Post

“Is that why you were late?” a smiling Johnson asks Macron in the 25-second clip first shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

“He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top,” Trudeau chimes in.

Hours before the reception, Trump had turned what were “expected to be brief photo opportunities” with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Macron and Trudeau into “his own personal daytime cable show,” The Washington Post reported. During the one-on-one meetings, Trump clashed with Macron and needled Trudeau over Canada’s NATO spending.

“Trump pronounced, prodded and pushed America’s allies into a state of unbalance — seizing the global stage to both bully and banter, all while keeping himself at the center of attention,” The Post’s Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Michael Birnbaum wrote, noting that the three impromptu news conferences ended up spanning two hours.

At the Tuesday evening reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II inside the palace’s Green Drawing Room, none of the three leaders — who appeared unaware they were on camera — mentioned Trump by name.

After Trudeau’s comments, Macron can be seen replying inaudibly and gesturing.

“You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor,” an animated Trudeau later tells the group.

Suggestions that Trump’s behavior was the subject of the leaders’ conversation sparked pointed commentary and derision on social media. By early Wednesday, the video, which reportedly came from a CBC journalist who caught the moment on a TV pool feed, had been watched nearly 5 million times.

For decades, Trump has publicly expressed concern that the United States is a “laughing stock,” as he tweeted in 2015. The Post found in 2016 that Trump had stated some variation of the criticism at least 103 times going back as early as 1987. During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to change that perception if elected.

Trump had just boasted “that his administration had accomplished more over two years than ‘almost any administration’ in American history, eliciting audible guffaws” from members of the audience, which included a number of world leaders, The Post’s David Nakamura reported at the time.

“Didn’t expect that reaction,” Trump said, drawing more chuckles, “but that’s okay.”

Later, the president reportedly insisted that his statement “was meant to get some laughter,” adding, “It was great.”

Trump has yet to publicly address Tuesday’s video, tweeting early Wednesday only that he “enjoyed” his post-reception meeting with Johnson at 10 Downing Street, where the pair “talked about numerous subjects including @NATO and Trade.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The three leaders in the video have been equally silent.

When Trudeau arrived at the summit early Wednesday, he walked briskly by reporters and did not answer shouted questions regarding his remarks allegedly about Trump. Later, as leaders sat down for their meeting, Trudeau could be seen going over to Trump and shaking his hand politely. The two men said something quickly to each other, then Trudeau walked away. Johnson’s office declined to comment to The Post, and representatives for Macron could not be reached.

Meanwhile, social media was flooded with reactions.

Some viewers were shocked to witness the leaders seeming to act like “mean girls,” as one person put it.

“Oh my God,” a Twitter user wrote. “This is quite something,” another person opined.

Others quickly noticed that a member of the royal family was also involved in the exchange, identifying Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, by her distinctive hair. A photograph taken at the reception showed the princess talking to Trudeau and Johnson. Earlier in the evening, Anne was seen in another viral video appearing to shrug off a “scolding” from the queen for not joining the royal receiving line to greet the president and first lady.

Me: I wonder why Princess Anne is trending, I wonder if she passed, that would be sad....

Princess Anne and other world leaders (I'm absolutely here for it): pic.twitter.com/ao72exkSkD

— Michele 🏳️‍🌈🎮 (@GetGoodGirl) December 4, 2019

Several people warned that Trump would likely retaliate if he saw the leaders appearing to laugh at his expense.

“Trump is watching this somewhere and drafting orders to invade Canada,” tweeted Robyn Urback, a Globe and Mail columnist. “These last 150ish years have been fun, friends.”

“Oh, man, Trump’s going to start World War III over this,” wrote Chicago Tribune humor columnist Rex Huppke.

Still, not everyone perceived the video as a negative reflection of Trump or the United States.

“This is great news for Trump,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted. “Foreign leaders have been laughing at Republican presidents since Reagan.”

This is great news for Trump. Foreign leaders have been laughing at Republican presidents since Reagan. Media elites as usual miss America. https://t.co/ELE4n6NNxY

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) December 4, 2019

But for “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” the gaggle of dignitaries commiserating about Trump was reminiscent of another experience.

Michael Birnbaum in London contributed to this report.

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2019-12-04 11:40:00Z
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Video appears to show world leaders gossiping about Trump - CNN

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2019-12-04 11:10:46Z
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Trudeau, Johnson, Macron appear to be mocking Trump in surfaced video from NATO summit - Fox News

The world's top leaders at the NATO summit in London appear to be laughing at the expense of President Trump in a video that surfaced on Tuesday night.

In a video shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and French President Emmanuel Macron are seen with others, including Princess Anne, having a conversation at a reception at the Buckingham Palace about a press conference earlier in the day.

Trump had made an impromptu conference and weighed in on the ongoing impeachment inquiry as well as the fiery exchange he had with Macron over France not taking back any ISIS fighters.

"Is that why you were late?" Boris smirked to Macron.

"He was late because he takes a 40 minute press conference off the top- 'Oh, ya, ya ya,'" Trudeau said, later adding, "You just watched his team's jaws drop to the floor."

TRUMP TALKS UP 'SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP' WITH MACRON, HOURS AFTER THREAT TO SLAP TARIFFS ON FRENCH WINE

The video went viral on social media, many assuming the world leaders were talking about Trump.

"Can’t get over this video, both for the fact that POTUS hates the thought of anyone laughing at him and for the fact that he long used “other countries are laughing at us” as an attack against his predecessors," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reacted.

"This happens at every NATO summit with Trump. Every G7. Every G20. The US President is mocked by US allies behind his back," political commentator Ian Bremmer wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Earlier, Macron and Trump clashed over ISIS fighters.

“I have not spoken to the president about that — would you like some nice ISIS fighters?” he asked Macron, when asked about ISIS fighters from Europe captured in Syria. “I can give them to you, you can take every one you want.”

After Macron’s answer, in which he urged Trump to “be serious” and called for a broader push against ISIS overall, Trump took another swipe.

“This is why he’s a great politician, because that’s one of the greatest non-answers I’ve ever heard,” Trump joked.

Fox News' Adam Shaw and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

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2019-12-04 08:08:21Z
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North Korea warns US to prepare for 'Christmas gift,' but no one's sure what to expect - CNN

The ominous comments, which some have interpreted as a sign that North Korea could resume long-distance missile tests, comes as the clock ticks closer to the country's self-imposed end-of-year deadline for nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.

Talks between the two sides have appeared to be in a rut in recent months, with North Korea conducting several shorter-range missile tests.

In a statement translated on the state news agency, Ri Thae Song, a first vice minister at the North Korean Foreign Ministry working on US affairs, accused US policy makers of leveraging talks with Kim Jong Un for domestic political gain.

"The dialogue touted by the US is, in essence, nothing but a foolish trick hatched to keep the DPRK bound to dialogue and use it in favor of the political situation and election in the US," Ri said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"It is entirely up to the US what Christmas gift it will select to get," added Ri.

In 2017, North Korea referred to its first test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a "gift" for the US on the Fourth of July holiday. That launch sparked what became a tense, months-long standoff between the two sides.

What happens in the coming weeks will likely determine if Washington's next so-called "Christmas gift" turns out to be similarly volatile.

"It's hard to predict because it could go either way," said Duyeon Kim, senior adviser on Northeast Asia and nuclear policy to the International Crisis Group. "It really depends on the circumstance and the situation, which will better inform how North Korea reacts.

An important meeting

On Wednesday, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency announced that the country's most powerful political body, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, will meet at the end of December "in order to discuss and decide on crucial issues in line with the needs of the development of the Korean revolution and the changed situation at home and abroad."

Whatever North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to do with respect to nuclear negotiations will likely be finalized at that meeting, according to Duyeon Kim.

"The outcome of this meeting and Pyongyang's policy line will depend on how happy they are with Washington and will be revealed in (Kim Jong Un's) New Year's Day address," said Duyeon Kim.

Washington, for its part, has not voiced increased alarm over the status of talks with North Korea.

Speaking in London on the sidelines of a NATO summit Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said "we'll see what happens" when it comes to North Korea.

"My relationship with Kim Jong Un is really good, but that doesn't mean he won't abide by the agreement we signed," Trump said. "I hope he lives up to the agreement, but we're going to find out," added Trump.

"(Kim Jong Un) definitely likes sending rockets up, doesn't he? That's why I call him "Rocket Man."

Kim's back on a horse

North Korea's decision to hold the meeting was announced the same day as KCNA released dozens of photographs showing Kim Jong Un on horseback touring Mount Paektu, an active volcano that sits on the country's border with China, alongside his wife and other officials. This was Kim's second trip on horseback atop the mountain since October.

While the photographs are the butt of jokes and mockery online, the images of Kim on horseback touring the mountain are imbued with potent symbolism.

According to legend, Mount Paektu is the birthplace of Dangun, the mythical founder of the first Korean kingdom some 4,000 years ago.

Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather and North Korea's founding father, is also believed to have led a cavalry unit against the Japanese occupation from a base on the mountain.

Putting Kim on a horse at Mount Paektu, wearing a similar coat to the one his grandfather was often seen wearing publicly, is likely meant to remind North Koreans of the Kim family's legacy of fighting imperialism, according to Michael Madden, an expert in North Korean leadership at the Stimson Foundation.

"Kim Jong Un is taking on the anti-imperialist credentials of his grandfather," added Madden.

However, it's unclear why Kim held the photo shoot at the mountain. Kim may have stopped there after a recently reported visit to the nearby township of Samjiyon, rather than making a dedicated visit.

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2019-12-04 07:30:00Z
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Democrats release impeachment report: Trump 'placed his own personal and political interests' above the nation's - CNN

The 300-page report sets the stage for the impeachment of a US president for just the third time in history. The report stops short of outright recommending impeachment, saying that is a decision for Congress to ultimately make.

"The President engaged in this course of conduct for the benefit of his own presidential reelection, to harm the election prospects of a political rival, and to influence our nation's upcoming presidential election to his advantage," the report says. "In doing so, the President placed his own personal and political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the US presidential election process, and endangered US national security."

The report from the House Intelligence Committee makes the Democrats' case for impeachment, weaving a narrative about Trump's handling of Ukraine, including with exhibits and phone logs.

The report also compares Trump's lack of cooperation with Congress with the cooperation in past administrations to argue that this President has engaged in unprecedented stonewalling. "Indeed, it would be hard to imagine a stronger or more complete case of obstruction than that demonstrated by the President since the inquiry began," the report says.

The committee's report serves as the backbone of the Democrats' impeachment proceedings against the President. The committee is expected to vote to approve it on Tuesday evening to send it to the House Judiciary Committee, where it is expected to serve as the basis of articles of impeachment that would be drafted by that panel in the coming days.

Republicans on Monday released their report ahead of the Democrats, a document that fully defended the President's actions on Ukraine, and they accused Democrats of rushing to impeach the President without any evidence that Trump did anything wrong.

The Democratic report is based largely on the 17 witness interviews that were conducted over the past several months, including 12 at two weeks of public hearings, with testimony that detailed a lengthy effort spearheaded by the President's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to oust the US ambassador to Ukraine and then push Kiev to announce investigations into the President's political rivals.

The report's findings on both Ukraine and obstruction of Congress are expected to be included in the articles of impeachment.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday that the report "outlines in considerable detail a scheme that began actually well before the recall of Ambassador (Marie) Yovanovitch, and was designed to further two political objectives of the President, which is an investigation into Joe Biden and an investigation into this debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine that interfered in the last election, not Russia -- notwithstanding all of our intelligence agencies concluding it was Russia, notwithstanding the fact that it's actually Putin's narrative that Ukraine did it, not us."

Schiff added: "The President believed obviously this would help his reelection campaign, and he was willing to use the full force of his office to leverage Ukraine to do these sham investigations."

The vote on the Intelligence Committee report signals a shift in the impeachment process from that committee to the Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary panel, chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, is holding its first impeachment hearing on Wednesday with legal experts.

This story has been updated with additional developments Tuesday.

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2019-12-03 19:21:00Z
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Stop Trump Coalition demonstration in central London | LIVE - The Sun

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2019-12-03 18:28:02Z
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