As Donald Trump this morning landed in Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad as President, back in Washington the already stormy cloud that has hung over the White House since his inauguration threatened to erupt.
Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One and was greeted by an elaborate welcoming ceremony at Riyadh’s airport, punctuated by a military flyover and a handshake from Saudi King Salman.
Trump is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president - a scheduling choice designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.
But a string of reports on the links between Trump’s team and Russia looks likely to overshadow what he was hoping would be an eight-day tour of the Middle East and Europe and a chance to build stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region.