President Donald Trump hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House Friday for a ‘working lunch’ followed by a joint news conference – leaving her to dine with more normal Americans on Thursday night.
Her visit to the executive mansion was scheduled to last fewer than three hours.
Commenting on the brevity this morning in a tweet, Trump said, ‘So much to discuss, so little time!’
But Merkel had been spotted at J. Paul’s, a bar-restaurant in Georgetown on Thursday evening with her security detail, posing for selfies with other diners, while Trump was at the White House.
Not the White House: Angela Merkel posed for selfies with regular diners at J. Paul’s In Georgetown, where the 1/2lb special cheeseburger comes in at $14.95
Welcome to the capital: Merkel stopped by J. Paul’s after a walk round Georgetown. It is unclear what she ordered but the menu offers ribs in a lager chipotle-molasses sauce and Chesapeake crab cake sandwich. It also brews its own amber ale
President Donald Trump will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House today for a ‘working lunch’ that will be followed by a joint news conference
Her visit to the executive mansion is scheduled to last fewer than three hours. Commenting on the brevity this morning in a tweet, Trump said, ‘So much to discuss, so little time!’
But Merkel had been spotted walking around an upscale neighborhood yesterday evening with her security detail while Trump was at the White House
Merkel enjoyed a meal in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood. She was seen enjoying walk from dinner to her hotel on Thursday evening
Merkel enjoyed a meal in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood. She was seen enjoying walk from dinner to her hotel on Thursday evening.
Trump had nothing on public schedule that would have prohibited him from joining her for dinner or inviting her in.
The White House did not respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com about whether the president extended her a dinner invitation.
In 2011, Barack Obama took his foreign counterpart out to dinner in Georgetown at 1789 Restaurant. The White House made that reservation on short notice at 4 pm on the day of the meal, The Georgetowner reported.
Obama hosted a State Dinner for Merkel the following evening at the White House.
Trump gave French President Emmanuel Macron a red-carpet welcome at the White House when he arrived in the U.S. on Monday. A dinner at George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, in Virginia followed.
On Tuesday, Trump offered Macron the highest honor a U.S. president can give a visiting head of state when he held an arrival ceremony for him on the White House’s South Lawn and paid tribute to him at a state dinner.
The leaders held several hours of talks during the day on Tuesday and appeared beside each other at a news conference where Macron committed to pursuing a new Iran nuclear deal tailored to fit Trump’s complaints with the first one.
Trump cleared his schedule again on Wednesday to watch Macron address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
Fan of Georgetown: Angela Merkel was taken to 1789, a far more upscale venue than J. Paul’s, by Obama in 2011
White House greeting: Trump kissed Angela Merkel on the cheek as she arrived at the executive mansion for the three hours of talks
Building a relationship: Trump and Merkel have not found a warm rapport as he has with the French and Japanese leaders but he appeared keen to do so as she arrived at the White House
All smiles: Trump and Merkel were jovial as they spoke in the Oval Office before the full talks
Last week, Trump feted the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, at his private club in Palm Beach. He took Abe golfing during the summit and hosted the leader and his wife for an intimate dinner at Mar-a-Lago. He and Abe attended a social dinner for top aides to both leaders before Abe returned to Tokyo.
That Merkel was getting the abbreviated version of talks with Trump spoke volumes about the state of the relationship between the two leaders.
Trump has griped repeatedly about imbalances in trade the U.S. has with Germany and cannot resolve because of the rules imposed by the European Union.
Last time Merkel came to the White House he joked, uncomfortably, that Obama had spied on both of them, so at least they shared that.
Trump last spoke to Merkel in March, but that was after a five-month stretch of no calls between them.
The president’s daughter and Merkel have bonded, however. Ivanka Trump joined Merkel in Germany last year at an event promoting apprenticeships. Merkel also came to Trump’s daughter’s defense when she filled in for her father at the head table at a summit in Germany for world leaders.
A fact sheet released by the White House on Friday ahead of Merkel’s arrival to the property stressed that Trump and Merkel would discuss security in the Middle East and counterterrorism, specifically the effort to eradicate ISIS.