Trump begins first foreign trip of second term amid trade breakthrough

President Donald Trump is traveling to the Middle East today for the first major foreign trip of his second term.

(NBC)- President Donald Trump is traveling to the Middle East today for the first major foreign trip of his second term — a high-stakes journey expected to focus heavily on business and diplomacy, as his administration unveils major developments on the global trade front. U.S. and Chinese officials announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs, set to begin Wednesday, after reaching a new trade agreement over the weekend. Under the deal, the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Chinese imports from 45% to 30%, while China will slash duties on American goods from 125% to just 10%. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer praised the rapid progress, saying, “It’s important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought.”

With inflation and tariff-driven price hikes on the minds of many Americans, President Trump also plans to sign an executive order today aimed at slashing prescription drug prices by 30 to 80 percent.

The president’s trip comes at a complex moment internationally — including signs of strain with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how to handle Iran’s aggression and the ongoing war in Gaza.

There may be a breakthrough there, too. After U.S.-Hamas negotiations, the last known American-Israeli hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, is expected to be released as early as today. President Trump hailed the development as “hopefully the first in the final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”

Trump will not be visiting Israel on this trip. Instead, his itinerary includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, controversy is brewing over a reported Qatari offer to donate a “super luxury jumbo jet” for future use as Air Force One. According to four sources, the plane would be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation at the end of his term.

Critics — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — are calling the arrangement “bribery.” President Trump is pushing back, calling it “a very public and transparent transaction.”