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Former President Donald Trump made a false claim on Monday about a 2016 meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his then-election rival Hillary Clinton, suggesting that Sisi barely met with Clinton after their own meeting.
During talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, where leaders had gathered to sign a peace deal aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Trump reminisced about his first encounter with the Egyptian leader in 2016.
“We knew each other from the beginning,” Trump said, speaking alongside Sisi. “The first time we met was in a hotel. I was going to meet him, and then Hillary Clinton was following me, remember? Hillary Clinton!”
Trump then claimed: “He liked me so much, that he never even got to see Hillary. He saw her for about two seconds, but he didn’t really want to waste a lot of time. He knew what was going to happen.”
However, contemporaneous reports and official records paint a significantly different picture of the September 19, 2016, meetings, which occurred in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Reuters and other news organizations from that period, Sisi actually met with Clinton first, followed by Trump. Both meetings took place at the same New York hotel as the Egyptian leader sought to establish relations with both potential incoming U.S. administrations.
Far from the brief encounter Trump described, Clinton’s meeting with Sisi was substantial. A readout shared at the time by ABC reporter Liz Kreutz indicated the pair had “a constructive discussion about bilateral ties and cooperation on a wide range of issues, including counterterrorism.” Some reports suggested their conversation lasted over 70 minutes.
During their meeting, Clinton and Sisi discussed economic development in Egypt, counterterrorism efforts, and human rights concerns. Clinton specifically raised issues regarding the detention of U.S. citizen Aya Hijazi and expressed concern about the prosecution of Egyptian human rights organizations and activists. The pair also exchanged views on Middle Eastern affairs and cooperation with Israel.
Clinton, who had served as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, leveraged her foreign policy experience during the campaign when discussing international relations.
Trump’s meeting with Sisi that same day focused heavily on combating Islamic extremism, with his campaign highlighting Egypt’s leadership role in the Middle East and North Africa. Trump was accompanied by then-Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions and Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who served as foreign policy advisors to his campaign.
During their discussion, Trump promised Sisi that under his potential administration, the United States would be “a loyal friend, not simply an ally” to Egypt. The relationship between the two leaders continued after Trump’s election victory, with Sisi visiting the White House in April 2017 during Trump’s first year in office.
The context of these meetings was particularly significant as both presidential candidates sought to demonstrate their foreign policy credentials just weeks before the 2016 election. Egypt, as a key U.S. ally in the Middle East and recipient of substantial American military aid, represented an important diplomatic relationship for the next administration.
Trump’s recent claim appears to be an attempt to suggest he had a stronger rapport with the Egyptian leader from their first meeting. However, the documented timeline and substance of both meetings contradict his assertion that Sisi only briefly met with Clinton or that she followed Trump in the meeting sequence.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday afternoon.
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6 Comments
The article’s breakdown of the sequence of Sisi’s meetings with Clinton and Trump during the 2016 UN General Assembly is helpful in assessing the accuracy of Trump’s statements.
Curious to see how Trump’s statement about Sisi’s supposed preference for him over Clinton compares to the official records and contemporaneous news reports covered in this fact check.
Interesting to see the discrepancy between Trump’s recollection and the contemporaneous news reports. It highlights the need to carefully scrutinize political claims, especially around past events.
The details provided in this article suggest Trump’s account may have been inaccurate or embellished. Fact-checking is crucial to ensuring the public has access to truthful information.
This fact check serves as a good reminder to always cross-reference claims against credible, verifiable sources rather than relying solely on political figures’ own recounts of events.
This fact check provides valuable context around Trump’s claims about his 2016 meeting with Sisi. It’s important to verify the details and timeline of these high-profile political encounters.