Trump says the US is not 'being taken for suckers anymore' at G20 summit
Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to tough action on climate change, saying he would not put US companies at risk.
Saturday 29 June 2019 14:37, UK
Donald Trump says the US is not "being taken for suckers anymore" since he entered the Oval Office as president.
Speaking after the G20 summit in Japan, Mr Trump spoke extensively about his hopes to meet Kim Jong Un again, America's relationship with China, and the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
At the news conference in Osaka, Mr Trump:
- Confirmed he would not be changing his mind on climate change action, saying factories don't work on wind power and he doesn't want to subsidise green energy
- Said US should fix the "loopholes" in its asylum policy, claiming it would take "45 minutes"
- Said he warned Russia's Vladimir Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election
- Described Jimmy Carter as a "nice man" but a "terrible president" after the ex-leader said Mr Trump won the election because of Russia
- Warned he was "very unhappy" about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but praised Saudi Arabia for their record on reform and for the investigations into 13 people linked with the journalist's death
- Insisted he could "say what he wanted" about who has pointed the finger at Mohammed bin Salman for Mr Khashoggi's death, after he was reminded the CIA did link the crown prince
- Revealed he is considering a trip to Moscow next year to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War
- Claimed China will spend more money on US farming and agriculture.
Mr Trump is at odds with the other 19 leaders in the G20 over his position on climate change, complicating Theresa May's attempts to get the world's biggest nations to set ambitious targets for tackling the problems faced by rising temperatures and changing weather.
In a communique following the two-day summit, it emerged that the US is the only country that has not reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Washington pulled out of the agreement in 2017 because it "disadvantages American workers and taxpayers".
Addressing that decision and his opposition to further action, Mr Trump said the US has the cleanest water and air on record and talked of being unprepared to damage US companies.
He claimed factories would not be able to run properly on wind power, said solar wasn't good enough, and criticised the need for subsidies.
Before the summit, Mr Trump tweeted to ask Kim Jong Un if he would like to meet for a handshake at the de-militarised zone (DMZ) at the border with South Korea, where he and his team are headed next.
He said it would not be bad if Mr Kim did not show up when Mr Trump is in the DMZ, but joked that Mr Kim follows him on Twitter because of the speed of his response.
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The US president was questioned about his meetings with other world leaders while he was in Japan, particularly trade talks with China amid an ongoing tariff war.
Mr Trump said he and President Xi Jinping were "right back on track" but that tariffs would continue for the "time being".
He also said he had secured large investment into US farming and agriculture from China.
Mr Trump also addressed domestic issues including at the country's border with Mexico, saying he believed the country's asylum "loopholes" could be closed within "45 minutes".
He suggested the death of a father and daughter in the Rio Grande would not have happened if the US's asylum laws were tighter.
Some of the president's harshest criticism was reserved for his 94-year-old predecessor Jimmy Carter, who recently claimed Mr Trump was only in the Oval Office because the Russians had interfered on his behalf.
Mr Trump said he was surprised by the comments, and told reporters: "Look, he was a nice man. He was a terrible president. He's a Democrat. And it's a typical talking point."