New York Post - 27.08.2019

New York Post, Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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9

By MARK MOORE

and BOB FREDERICKS

President Trump talked about
Iran, Russia, North Korea and
other global topics during a wide-
ranging news conference on the
last day of the G-7 summit Mon-
day, concluding that he and the
other world leaders “got along
great” despite the absence of any
major breakthroughs on trade,
climate or Tehran’s nukes.
French President Emmanuel
Macron told reporters at a joint
news conference that he hoped
Trump and Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani would start talk-
ing in the “coming weeks” about a
replacement for the nuclear ac-
cord that limited Iran’s ability to
produce nuclear weapons.
Trump said he was not yet ready
to meet with Rouhani but could
be if the Islamic republic changed
its destabilizing behavior.
“If the circumstances were cor-
rect or right, I would certainly
agree to that. In the meantime,
they have to be good players,”
Trump said in Biarritz, France.
“I think Iran wants to get this
situation straightened out. Is that
based on fact or based on gut?
That’s based on gut. The sanc-
tions are absolutely hurting them
horribly. I don’t want to see that.
but we can’t let them have a nu-
clear weapon, can’t let it happen.”
And Rouhani said he was ready
for a sit-down — even if chances
for success were slight.
“If I knew that going to a meet-
ing and visiting a person would
help my country’s development
and resolve the problems of the
people, I would not miss it,” he
said Monday in a televised speech.
“Even if the odds of success are
not 90 percent but are 20 percent
or 10 percent, we must move
ahead with it. We should not miss
opportunities.”
Trump pulled out of the nuclear
agreement in May 2018 after Iran
continued to foster unrest in Iraq,
Lebanon and other countries. On
Monday, he continued excoriat-

ing the deal even as the other sig-

natories have remained on board.

“We made a ridiculous deal, we

gave them $150 billion, we gave

them $1.8 billion and we got noth-

ing,” Trump said, referring to Ira-

nian assets that were frozen after

the country’s 1979 revolution and

ensuing hostage crisis and re-

turned as part of the nuke deal.

Trump said he gave approval

for Macron’s invitation to Iranian

Foreign Minister Mohammad Ja-

vad Zarif despite new US sanc-

tions against the envoy. Macron

told reporters that he had given

the president a heads-up.

Trump also defended his pro-

posal to invite Russian President

Vladimir Putin to next year’s G-

meeting in the United States and

said he could accept any political

fallout resulting.

“I don’t care politically. I don’t

do things for political reasons.

Having them inside the room is

better than having them outside

the room,” he said.

Trump went on to blame for-

mer President Barack Obama for

forcing Russia out of the group

after it invaded and annexed Cri-

mea from Ukraine in 2014. He

also repeated his claim that Putin

“outsmarted” Obama in doing so.

And he inserted some unsolic-

ited praise for North Korean dic-

tator Kim Jong-un.

“Kim Jong-un, who I’ve gotten

to know extremely well — the

first lady has gotten to know Kim

Jong-un, and I think she would

agree with me — he is a man with

a country that has tremendous

potential,” Trump said as an aside

after being asked about Iran.

The White House later ac-

knowledged that First Lady Mela-

nia Trump had never met Kim.

“President Trump confides in

his wife on many issues, includ-

ing the detailed elements of his

strong relationship with Chair-

man Kim — and while the first

lady hasn’t met him, the president

feels like she’s gotten to know

him, too,” said spokeswoman

Stephanie Grisham.

The commander in chief also

praised former UK Prime Minis-

ter Theresa May but repeated his

contention that if she had only

taken his advice, she would have

been able to cut a Brexit deal.

“I gave her my ideas as to doing

the deal very early on, and you

possibly know what they are. She

chose to do it her way, and that

didn’t work out so well,” he said

when asked about the prospects

of her replacement, Boris John-

son, reaching a deal before the

Oct. 31 deadline.

“I think she’s a very, very good

person and a good woman, and I

really believe that Boris Johnson

will be a great prime minister.”

Johnson has vowed to leave the

EU by the deadline with or with-

out a deal.

Meanwhile, Macron lashed out

at Brazilian President Jair Bolson-

aro on Monday for Bolsonaro’s

apparent approval of a Facebook

post that implied his own wife is

more attractive than Macron’s.

“He has made some extraordi-

narily rude comments about my

wife,” Macron said. “What can I

say? It’s sad. It’s sad for him

firstly, and for Brazilians.”

On Sunday, Bolsonaro com-

mented on a supporter’s Face-

book post that contrasted a photo

of Macron and his wife, Brigitte,

with one of Bolsonaro and Bol-

sonaro’s wife, Michelle, and read,

“Now you understand why Ma-

cron is persecuting Bolsonaro?”

Bolsonaro replied, “Do not hu-

miliate the guy, ha ha.”

Additional reporting by Kenneth

Garger and AP

IT’S MUCH ADIEU

ABOUT NOTHING

Trump talks Iran as G-7 ends with few solutions

US PGA TOUR

Location, location, location.

President Trump made a se-

rious sales pitch on Monday

to hold next year’s G-7 sum-

mit of world leaders at his Mi-

ami golf resort (above), tout-

ing its luxurious rooms and

proximity to the airport.

But he pushed back against

the notion he’d profit from it.

“It’s not about me, it’s about

getting the right location,” the

real-estate mogul said during

a news conference with

French President Emmanuel

Macron at the G-7.

“I don’t want to make

money. I don’t care about

making money,” he said, add-

ing that the presidency is

costing “me anywhere from

3 to 5 billion dollars.”

“I used to get a lot of money

to make speeches, now I give

speeches all the time. You

know what I get? Zippo.”

At an earlier meeting with

German Chancellor Angela

Merkel, the president said se-

lecting a site is all about loca-

tion — pointing out that the

Trump National Doral is just

a five-minute drive from Mi-

ami International Airport.

Hosting the gathering there

could be challenged by critics

citing the emoluments clause

of the Constitution, which

prohibits presidents from

profiting from their time in of-

fice or taking payments from

foreign entities. Mark Moore

Prez invites gang back to his place

Editorial /Page 22