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Elevators at Trump Tower Will Be Crowded Rudolph Giuliani Comes to Trump Tower to Meet With Transition Officials
(about 2 hours later)
Thursday will be a time to come together, for President-elect Donald J. Trump and the prime minister of Japan, for Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Democratic leaders in Congress, and even for wary Central Americans eager to find common cause against the new administration. President-elect Donald J. Trump has a full schedule of meetings with potential cabinet officers on Thursday, along with calls to world leaders as he works to build out his nascent administration.
Mr. Trump is set on Thursday to have his first face-to-face meeting with a sitting foreign leader when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan stops by Trump Tower, and Mr. Abe surely has a lot on his mind. He is the highest ranking of many visitors whom the president-elect is scheduled to sit down with as he works to assemble his cabinet. Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of Mr. Trump’s campaign confidants who has been mentioned as a possible secretary of state, arrived at Trump Tower in the morning along with several aides. Mr. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, declined to answer questions, saying he needed to get upstairs.
Mr. Abe no doubt wants to sort out what Mr. Trump meant when he suggested during the campaign that allies such as Japan might need to pay more for military defense provided by the United States as well as Mr. Trump’s suggestion that Japan should consider acquiring nuclear weapons. Such comments could be worrisome to a nation that considers itself the closest American ally in the Asia-Pacific region, and Mr. Abe seems eager to quickly build a personal relationship with Mr. Trump. A few minutes before Mr. Giuliani passed through the lobby, Steve Mnunchin, a candidate to be Treasury secretary, and Michael Glassner, a deputy campaign manager for Mr. Trump, also came to meet with transition officials.
Japan was also a signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the 12-nation trade pact that Mr. Trump has vowed to get rid of. Mr. Trump is continuing his conversation with world leaders, which on Thursday included the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham H. Aliyev; the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte; and president of Poland, Andrzej Duda. The transition team said that the leaders congratulated Mr. Trump.
It has been noticed at the State Department that the president-elect has been talking with foreign leaders without any consultation on the often complex protocol involved. Mr. Trump is also scheduled to see former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger; Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina; Gen. Jack Keane, a retired Army four-star general who was an architect of the troop surge in Iraq; Adm. Michael S. Rogers, director of the National Security Agency; and J. Kenneth Blackwell, the former secretary of state of Ohio.
“We stand ready to support him and his team with any information that they might require,” said John Kirby, the State Department spokesman. “We are ready and able to provide context if it is desired.”
“There has been no outreach to date,” Mr. Kirby added.
In addition to meeting Mr. Abe, according to transition officials, Mr. Trump is scheduled to see former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina; Gen. Jack Keane, a retired Army four-star general who was an architect of the troop surge in Iraq; Adm. Michael S. Rogers, director of the National Security Agency; and Ken Blackwell, the former secretary of state of Ohio.
The formal reach across the aisle by the Trump administration will begin Thursday, when Mr. Pence is scheduled to meet on Capitol Hill with Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the longtime House Democratic leader, and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the newly elected Senate Democratic leader.The formal reach across the aisle by the Trump administration will begin Thursday, when Mr. Pence is scheduled to meet on Capitol Hill with Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the longtime House Democratic leader, and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the newly elected Senate Democratic leader.
Both lawmakers had talked to the vice president-elect by phone, but this will be their first potentially substantive meeting. The top Democrats are in a delicate position. They want to appear open to cooperation with Republicans and might even be enthusiastic about some of Mr. Trump’s agenda items, such as a big public works bill, penalties for companies that move operations overseas, paid maternity leave and closing a tax loophole for private equity titans.Both lawmakers had talked to the vice president-elect by phone, but this will be their first potentially substantive meeting. The top Democrats are in a delicate position. They want to appear open to cooperation with Republicans and might even be enthusiastic about some of Mr. Trump’s agenda items, such as a big public works bill, penalties for companies that move operations overseas, paid maternity leave and closing a tax loophole for private equity titans.
At the same time, a move toward accommodation with Mr. Trump could draw fierce criticism from those in the party who want no cooperation at all and are eager to remind Democrats how Republicans tried to thwart President Obama at every turn. Mr. Pence is also supposed to get together with Speaker Paul D. Ryan during his visit to Capitol Hill, where he will evidently be spending a lot of time in the months ahead.At the same time, a move toward accommodation with Mr. Trump could draw fierce criticism from those in the party who want no cooperation at all and are eager to remind Democrats how Republicans tried to thwart President Obama at every turn. Mr. Pence is also supposed to get together with Speaker Paul D. Ryan during his visit to Capitol Hill, where he will evidently be spending a lot of time in the months ahead.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who battled bitterly with Mr. Trump during the Republican primary, said on Thursday that he was “eager and committed” to working with him.Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who battled bitterly with Mr. Trump during the Republican primary, said on Thursday that he was “eager and committed” to working with him.
In an interview on Fox News, Mr. Cruz said that he met with Mr. Trump on Wednesday and that they had a “far-reaching” conversation about the challenges facing the country. There is speculation that Mr. Cruz could be a potential nominee for attorney general or the Supreme Court, but on Thursday he dodged questions about his future.In an interview on Fox News, Mr. Cruz said that he met with Mr. Trump on Wednesday and that they had a “far-reaching” conversation about the challenges facing the country. There is speculation that Mr. Cruz could be a potential nominee for attorney general or the Supreme Court, but on Thursday he dodged questions about his future.
“I’m eager to work with the president in whatever capacity I can have the greatest impact defending the principles I was elected to defend,” Mr. Cruz said. “I am excited for the opportunity we have to come together and get the job done.”“I’m eager to work with the president in whatever capacity I can have the greatest impact defending the principles I was elected to defend,” Mr. Cruz said. “I am excited for the opportunity we have to come together and get the job done.”
Republicans have only a slim majority in the Senate, but Mr. Cruz expressed openness to doing away with the filibuster so that his party could push through Mr. Trump’s agenda.Republicans have only a slim majority in the Senate, but Mr. Cruz expressed openness to doing away with the filibuster so that his party could push through Mr. Trump’s agenda.
“I think we need to do whatever is necessary to get the job done,” he said.“I think we need to do whatever is necessary to get the job done,” he said.
With their eye on El Norte, officials in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are teaming up to seek support from Mexico on a strategy to counter Mr. Trump, El Salvador’s foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.With their eye on El Norte, officials in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are teaming up to seek support from Mexico on a strategy to counter Mr. Trump, El Salvador’s foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
The three countries released a joint statement pledging to formulate positions on jobs, investment and migration in anticipation of major changes in Washington.The three countries released a joint statement pledging to formulate positions on jobs, investment and migration in anticipation of major changes in Washington.
Mexico and other Central American nations rely heavily on remittances from their countrymen in the United States, as well as bilateral trade with the giant to the north.Mexico and other Central American nations rely heavily on remittances from their countrymen in the United States, as well as bilateral trade with the giant to the north.