Donald Trump: The President of Egypt Should Know He Has a Great Friend and Ally in America

Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Presidents of the United States and Egypt, met at the White House on Monday, April 2. In this meeting, both presidents emphasized their joint efforts in the fight against terrorism. According to Reuters, Donald Trump praised the Egyptian president, stating, "I just wanted everyone to know that there is no doubt about our deep support for President Sisi. He has done an incredible job in a difficult situation. We are strong supporters of Egypt and the Egyptian people." This is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's first official visit to the United States since Egypt's 2014 presidential elections. Former U.S. President Barack Obama did not invite him to visit the U.S. General Sisi ousted Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, in 2013 following protests against him, and ran for president in 2014. During this time, Mohamed Morsi and many leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were imprisoned. After Morsi's ousting, over a thousand people were killed in street protests. Barack Obama suspended U.S. annual aid to Egypt for two years after the coup. Following the meeting between Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, senior advisors from both presidents held discussions. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Donald Trump had previously met in New York during the U.S. election campaign in September. On Monday, Trump told reporters at the White House, "I wanted to tell Mr. President that you have a great friend and ally in America." Sisi also referred to terrorism as a "wicked, devilish ideology" that seeks to kill innocent people. He assured Trump that Egypt would stand alongside the U.S. president in the fight against terrorism. Trump mentioned that the U.S. and Egypt have some differences on various issues without providing details. Human rights groups estimate that there are about 40,000 political prisoners in Egyptian jails. Egypt receives $1.3 billion in military aid from the U.S. annually. An unnamed U.S. official told Reuters that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi expects more aid from the U.S., but Washington will not provide additional funds. This official also stated that it is still unclear whether U.S. aid to Egypt will be reduced. The U.S. government has announced plans to cut 28.7% of the State Department's budget, a significant portion of which includes aid to Egypt.