Read, Watch or Listen

President Donald Trump departed for Asia on his first trip of the term, aiming to advance investment deals and peace efforts as the U.S. shutdown drags on. He heads to Malaysia to meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and sign what he calls a Cambodia–Thailand peace deal, then continues to Japan and South Korea. He is expected to seek progress toward at least $900 billion in investments tied to easing planned tariffs to 15%, and plans a face‑to‑face with China’s Xi Jinping to cool trade tensions while discussing fentanyl and Russian oil purchases. Democrats criticized the timing amid the shutdown.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.