Trump’s UN Presence: No Modi, But Some Diplomats Meet Advisers

Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

NEW YORK, NY (REUTERS) – Some of Donald Trump’s advisers are meeting foreign officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly where U.S. allies are seeking to get a grasp on what a Trump win in the November 5 election would mean for U.S. foreign policy.

Some advisers have urged Trump to decline some meetings to focus on campaigning and to avoid any unnecessary negative headlines in the final days of the race.

The former president had planned to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda at a Polish American Catholic shrine north of Philadelphia over the weekend, but Trump’s campaign canceled the joint appearance.

While Trump said on the campaign trail that he planned to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he would “probably” meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week, such meetings did not happen.

It was not clear who had met or planned to meet the advisers, nor was it clear what they planned to discuss.

Trump is not attending this week’s meetings. But the possibility that the ex-president – who cut U.N. funding while in office – could win the election is very much on the minds of the leaders and diplomats gathering in New York.

His foreign policy advisers have generally said they are careful not to promote specific policies in private chats, nor enter any talks that could be seen as undercutting the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.

A firm founded by Robert O’Brien, who served as Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser, hosted a reception for high-ranking foreign diplomats in Midtown Manhattan, according to a person with knowledge of the event. Mike Pompeo, who served as CIA director and secretary of state under Trump, was expected to host a separate reception.