OSAKA, Japan (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s trip to Asia. (all times local):
4:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump is weighing in on Thursday evening’s Democratic presidential debate and arguing that California Sen. Kamala Harris has gotten too much credit for a blistering attack on former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump is offering his assessment during a press conference marking the end of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
Harris has been widely praised for her move highlighting Biden’s opposition to public school busing during the 1970s. But Trump says he thinks she “was given far too much credit for what she did” and says her answer came “right out of a box.”
Trump also says Biden was no Winston Churchill — a reference to the great orator — but argued his performance wasn’t that bad.
Trump is also threatening, without evidence, that the markets will crash if a Democrat beats him.
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4:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump is defending his decision not to confront Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman over the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump on Friday praised Mohammed as his “friend” as they met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, but ignored reporters’ questions about the crown prince’s alleged role in the killing last year.
Trump is calling the killing “horrible,” but says that Saudi Arabia has “been a terrific ally.” He’s also suggesting he’s satisfied with steps the country is taking to prosecute some of those involved, while claiming that “nobody so far has pointed directly a finger at the future king of Saudi Arabia.”
A U.N. expert has called for an investigation into his alleged involvement in the killing at the Saudi consulate in Turkey last year. And U.S. intelligence officials concluded that bin Salman must have at least known of the plot.
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4:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump says Jimmy Carter is a “nice man” but he was “terrible” as America’s president.
Trump on Saturday hit back at Carter after he was asked about Carter’s comment that Trump is president only because of Russian interference. Carter commented Friday during a human rights discussion in Virginia, but offered no evidence for his statement.
Asked about Carter’s comment during a news conference in Japan, Trump says Carter is a Democrat and what he said is a “typical talking point.”
Trump says he was elected because he worked “harder and smarter” than his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.
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4:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he’d “feel very comfortable” crossing the border into North Korea if he meets Kim Jong Un at the heavily-fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone separating the North from South Korea.
Trump was asked about the prospect during a news conference in Japan marking the end of a Group of 20 summit.
Trump earlier Saturday invited Kim by tweet to meet him at the border, “just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!” It would be their third face-to-face.
Trump says he’d “have no problem” becoming the first U.S. president to cross the border while he’s there.
Trump and Kim last met in Vietnam in February, but that summit collapsed with no progress.
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4:20 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he’s holding off on new China tariffs for the “time being” and the U.S. and China will restart stalled trade talks.
Trump made the announcement Saturday in Japan following a lengthy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He says U.S. tariffs already in place against Chinese imports will remain, but that new tariffs he’s threatened to slap on billions worth of other Chinese goods will not be put in place.
Trump says “we’re going to work with China where we left off.”
Talks broke off after several rounds of negotiations after the U.S. accused China of reneging on agreements it had already made.
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4:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he may be meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un on Sunday during a visit to the demilitarized zone with South Korea. But he says nothing has been set just yet.
Trump offered the update during a press conference as he wraps up his appearance at the Group of 20 summit in Japan hours after tweeting his invitation.
Trump says Kim has responded to the offer and was “very receptive” to the idea. He says: “We may be meeting with Chairman Kim… we’ll find out.”
It’s unclear whether Trump was referring to a private communication or public comments from North’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who called the prospect of a meeting a “very interesting suggestion.”
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3:07 p.m.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to a new cease-fire in a yearlong trade war.
That’s according to Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. The outlet reported Saturday that the leaders had agreed that stalled trade talks would resume and that the U.S. would hold off on threatened additional tariffs on Chinese goods.
The two leaders had sought to de-escalate a prolonged trade war between the economic powerhouses despite doubts about their willingness to compromise on a long term solution.
The apparent truce marks a pattern for talks between Trump and Xi, who have professed their friendship with each other and hit the pause button on protectionist measures after their conversations, only to see negotiations later break down over the contentious details.
