President Donald Trump greeted Malaysian dancers with his signature moves as he kicked off his highly anticipated week-long foreign trip to Asia.
Drums played as he strutted down the red carpet, leading him off Air Force One in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, toward the native dancers on Sunday morning local time.
After a 23-hour flight from Washington, DC, Trump, 79, stepped side to side as he pumped his fists.
Trump popularized his iconic dance during his 2024 election campaign, before he beat Kamala Harris and returned to the White House for a second term.
He was dancing along with a massive group of vibrantly dressed performers. The stunning array of colors they wore represented the country’s major ethic groups, including Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous people from Borneo.
The dancers clapped, swayed and chanted in unison while performing a traditional routine to welcome Trump on the first stop of his trip, during which he will also visit Japan and South Korea, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A jubilant crowd waving American and Malaysian flags applauded during the spirited encounter. Trump then approached the onlookers, grabbed two flags and posed for photos.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim walked alongside Trump as he was given a warm introduction to the Southeast Asian nation.
President Donald Trump greeted Malaysian dancers with his signature moves as he kicked off his highly anticipated week-long foreign trip to Asia
Trump arrived in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday morning local time
Trump has embarked on this five-day Asia tour to arrange trade deals throughout the region.
He has set high expectations for the trip, claiming he will leave his meeting with Xi in South Korea with a ‘really fair and really great trade deal.’
But before he meets with Xi, he will attend a peace deal ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center between Cambodia and Thailand.
He will then meet with the newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo.
Trump’s next stop will be South Korea, where he will deliver remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Finally, he will conclude his trip with a consequential bilateral meeting with Xi. Trump also said he was open to speaking with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone.
The trip comes after a week of breakdowns in foreign policy for the Trump administration.
Peace in the Middle East remains tenuous after the Israeli Knesset symbolically voted to support West Bank annexation after the president secured an agreement with Hamas earlier this month.
Trump grabbed an American and a Malaysian flag before posing for photos with the eager crowd
Performers gave Trump a warm welcome, cheering as he arrived at the capital
His second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin fell apart, leading to the imposition of oil sanctions, and tensions with China are at a months-long high.
On his flight to Malaysia, Trump announced plans to raise tariffs on Canada by 10 percent. He also noted that he hopes to land on a ‘comprehensive’ trade deal with China.
Trump’s former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon blasted the trip to Asia as one of the president’s ‘riskiest’ ever.
But US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has shared a positive outlook for Trump’s tour.
Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke with Chinese officials in Kuala Lumpur.
‘I think we’re moving forward to the final details of the type of agreement that the leaders can review and decide if they want to conclude together,’ Greer told reporters, according to CNN.
‘We had quite constructive discussions with our Chinese counterparts. We think we’re getting to a point where we have something we can present to the leaders.’
