Reports confirm that allies of the former President, Donald Trump, have been actively encouraging foreign countries to send diplomats and official emissaries to Mar-a-Lago in preparation for a potential return to the White House. Sources with direct knowledge of the meetings have revealed this information.
Trump's advisers and allies are optimistic about his ability to leverage the decreasing approval ratings of President Joe Biden's foreign policy decisions. According to an April poll by CBS News, only 33% of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a significant drop from 44% in October.
The early engagement of foreign ambassadors and ministers with the presumed GOP presidential nominee, six months before the election, indicates strategic groundwork for a possible Trump administration.
Terry Sullivan, who managed Sen. Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, commented, "The biggest handle Biden had on Trump was that this guy is unpredictable, especially on the world stage. When you take your opponent's strength and your personal weakness and turn them on their head, that's a big move."
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee, Sen. Mitt Romney, implemented a similar strategy of meeting foreign leaders shortly before he won the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. On a trip to London for a fundraiser that year, Romney met with several British leaders. At the time, CBS News chief political analyst John Dickerson told "CBS This Morning" that Romney's campaign had calibrated his talking points about the meetings to project a presidential aura.
"It's something every campaign does to some degree if they can get away with it and show they have gravitas and can handle major foreign policy situations," said Sullivan, who also worked on Romney's earlier presidential bid in 2008 and is now a CBS News contributor.
Foreign leaders have made stops at Trump's Mar-a-Lago Florida club, too. The former president recently hosted British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, whose spokesperson said it was "standard practice for ministers to meet with opposition candidates as part of their routine international engagement." The two spoke about the war in Ukraine, NATO spending and upcoming elections, according to the Trump campaign.
But unlike recent presidential nominees, Trump has also hosted controversial foreign leaders. The willingness by some Trump advisers to contact these foreign governments reflects the approach another Trump administration could take on foreign policy.
Last month, the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the closest European Union ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, at Mar-a-Lago. The two also discussed the war in Ukraine, Orban later told state media.
Mr. Biden reacted swiftly, criticizing the rendezvous on the day it took place.
"He's got some interesting company these days, doesn't he? Meeting with Orbán of Hungary, who openly rejects democracy and favors dictatorship," remarked Mr. Biden during a rally near Philadelphia. "That's the kind of people he's associating with."
Recent reports from The New York Times revealed that Trump also had discussions with Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. intelligence linked to the approval of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent figure.
Additionally, sources confirmed that the former president engaged in talks with officials from various Western nations, including Finland in the previous year.
Politico was the first to report on the outreach by Trump's allies to foreign leaders.
A recent national poll by CBS News in March indicated Trump leading over Mr. Biden, with voters recalling a stronger economy during Trump's tenure. In response, the Biden campaign and Democratic National Committee are leveraging their financial resources to narrow the gap, focusing on significant ad placements in crucial battleground states.
