Trump meets world leaders, cancels Putin meeting before Asia trip
President Trump prepares to travel to Asia
Fox News contributor Michael Pillsbury weighs in on President Trump’s high-stakes trip to Asia and the points of tension between China and the United States on “America Reports.”
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President Donald Trump kicked off the week’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and closed out the week jetsetting to Asia. And back home, the White House began construction of its new ballroom – to the dismay of many Democrats.
Trump said construction began Monday and the project would be privately financed. The cost of the project is estimated at $300 million, up from the $200 million estimate initially provided in July when the project was unveiled.
“For more than 150 years, every president has dreamed of having a ballroom at the White House to welcome people for major parties, state visits, etc. I am honored to be the first president to finally launch this much-needed project – at no cost to the American taxpayer!” » Trump said in a social media post. “THE White House Ballroom is privately funded by many generous Patriots, major corporate America, and yours truly. This ballroom will be happily used for generations to come!”
The United States will accelerate the sending of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia which will be close to China’s gates.
Yet the project was criticized because the historic East Wing of the White House was completely demolished. The wing served as the official entrance to the White House and is designated as space for the first lady.
On Monday, Trump announced that he wanted to accelerate the equipping of Australia with nuclear submarines as part of the trilateral agreement between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom which aims to strengthen Australia’s submarine force to deter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The agreement, known as AUKUS, stipulates that the United States will sell Australia up to five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, scheduled for delivery as early as 2032. The agreement also specifies that Australia and the United Kingdom will work to build additional attack submarines for the Australian fleet.
However, Trump told reporters he planned to equip Australia with submarines soon, when asked if he wanted to speed up the process.
President Donald Trump, left, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, October 20, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“Well, we’re doing that, yes…we’re moving them forward very, very quickly,” Trump told reporters Monday.
However, Trump also said he did not believe the deal was necessary to weaken China.
“I don’t think we’re going to need it,” Trump said of the trilateral deal. “I think everything will be fine with China. China doesn’t want to do this. First of all, the United States is by far the strongest military power in the world. It’s not even close, not even close. We have the best equipment. We have the best of everything, and no one is going to interfere. And I don’t see that with President Xi at all.”
President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they gather for a group photo during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019.
Meanwhile, Trump left for Asia on Friday, when he is scheduled to meet Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The meeting comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, which intensified when Beijing announced on October 9 that it would impose export controls on rare earth magnets. Rare earth magnets are used in products ranging from electric cars to F-35 fighter jets.
As a result, Trump said the United States would impose new 100% tariffs on all Chinese goods, set to take effect on November 1.
However, Trump has sought to neutralize tensions and has regularly praised his relationship with Xi in recent weeks. Furthermore, he said he believed an agreement would be reached between the two countries.
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“I think we’re going to do very well and everyone will be very happy,” Trump said Thursday.
Trump and Xi have not met in person since Trump took office in January. Their last meeting took place in June 2019 in Japan.
Trump will also visit Malaysia, Japan and South Korea as part of his trip.
Trump also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, just after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and after canceling a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speak at the start of the NATO Leaders’ Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. (Joh Thys/AFP)
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Trump said he did not want an “unnecessary meeting” with Putin in Hungary, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump did not see enough progress toward peace from Russia.
“We canceled the meeting with President Putin,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office with Rutte on Wednesday. “It didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like we were going to get to where we need to get to. So I canceled. But we will in the future.”
