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36 hours with Donald Trump, in pictures

caption: President Donald Trump speaks with the president of Italy in an open press event. The interpreter's expressions as Trump spoke went viral on social media.
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President Donald Trump speaks with the president of Italy in an open press event. The interpreter's expressions as Trump spoke went viral on social media.
The White House (video still)

It's hard to keep track of the news that President Donald Trump generates.

This week was particularly visual, so we decided to help you keep track of the news with this photo story, much of it generated by The White House.

The Italian interpreter

caption: President Donald Trump speaks with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy through an interpreter, left. The interpreter here was responding to Trump's statements about China.
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President Donald Trump speaks with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy through an interpreter, left. The interpreter here was responding to Trump's statements about China.
The White House

Trump met with the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, on Wednesday, in an otherwise uneventful press event.

What stood out, however, were the Italian interpreter's facial expressions during this appearance. Here, she is responding to Trump saying, "If my opponent would have won, China would right now be the most powerful country economically in the world."

"Nervous Nancy"

caption: "Nervous Nancy's unhinged meltdown!" President Trump tweeted on Thursday with this photograph of Nancy Pelosi standing up and apparently lecturing him.
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"Nervous Nancy's unhinged meltdown!" President Trump tweeted on Thursday with this photograph of Nancy Pelosi standing up and apparently lecturing him.
White House photographer Shealah Craighead

Three hours after his presser with the Italian president, Trump met with Democratic leaders, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader.

It didn't go well.

Trump tweeted out the photo above with the caption, "Nervous Nancy."

And he wrote in a later tweet: "Nancy Pelosi needs help fast! There is either something wrong with her 'upstairs,' or she just plain doesn’t like our great Country. She had a total meltdown in the White House today. It was very sad to watch. Pray for her, she is a very sick person!"

According to Pelosi, she was asking Trump tough questions about Russia.

Speaking to reporters afterward, she said, “The Russians were the beneficiaries of any withholding of assistance or encouragement to the Ukraine. Again, Putin benefits.

"The Russians benefited, Putin did, when the president placed some doubt about our commitment to NATO, right from the start of his administration. All roads seem to lead to Putin.

"Then, the president said, ‘Well, the reason I’m taking the troops out of Syria is because I promised in the campaign to bring the troops home.’

"My question to him is, is Saudi Arabia home? Is Saudi Arabia home?

"He said ‘Well, the Saudi Arabians are paying for it.’

"Really, we’re putting our troops in harm’s way for Saudi Arabia because they’re paying for it?

"What it did do was cause a meltdown on the part of the president because he was unhappy with those questions.”

Critics of the president noted that the image showed a woman standing up to a room of white men.

Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times took issue with this analysis on Twitter:

"I get what’s being said/attempted here, but it’s always interesting to me how white women un-race white women while racing white men — as if white women don’t experience both gender discrimination and racial privilege at the same time."

"Do you think they like me?"

caption: Rep. Chuck Schumer, left, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, at a meeting on Thursday with President Trump. In a tweet, Trump said, "Do you think they like me?"
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Rep. Chuck Schumer, left, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, at a meeting on Thursday with President Trump. In a tweet, Trump said, "Do you think they like me?"
White House Photographer Shealah Craighead via Donald Trump Twitter

And with that, the Dems left the room. Trump then tweeted this photo from the meeting:

caption: President Trump tweeted this photo on Oct. 17 with the caption, "The Do Nothing Democrats, Pelosi and Schumer stormed out of the Cabinet Room!"
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President Trump tweeted this photo on Oct. 17 with the caption, "The Do Nothing Democrats, Pelosi and Schumer stormed out of the Cabinet Room!"
White House Photographer Shealah Craighead

Letter to Turkey: "Don't be a fool!"

caption: A letter to President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey from President Donald Trump.
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A letter to President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey from President Donald Trump.
The White House

On the same day, a letter that Trump wrote to the Turkish president, on Oct. 9, was leaked to the press.

"Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!" Trump wrote. "I will call you later."

Trump had ordered American troops to withdraw from northeastern Syria three days before he wrote this letter. American soldiers had been there supporting Kurdish allies.

On the day Trump wrote this letter, Turkish air strikes began.

In an NPR interview, a senior advisor to the Turkish president said the letter was not taken seriously, "especially given its lack of diplomatic finesse."

Then on to Texas:

caption: President Donald Trump tours the Louis Vuitton Workshop Rochambeau in Alvarado, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
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President Donald Trump tours the Louis Vuitton Workshop Rochambeau in Alvarado, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

On Thursday, Trump flew to Texas, where he toured the Louis Vuitton Workshop. On the airstrip, he held up this banner:

caption: President Donald Trump holds a banner, "Women for Trump," as he talks with guests as he arrives at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
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President Donald Trump holds a banner, "Women for Trump," as he talks with guests as he arrives at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

On the flight, Rick Perry, resigning:

caption: Energy Secretary Rick Perry gestures as he arrives on Air Force One with President Donald Trump at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. He submitted his intention to resign on the same day.
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Energy Secretary Rick Perry gestures as he arrives on Air Force One with President Donald Trump at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. He submitted his intention to resign on the same day.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Rick Perry (energy secretary, 12th place Dancing With The Stars contestant, presidential candidate — remember "Oops"?) submitted his intention to resign on Thursday.

Perry had recently emerged as a central figure in the impeachment inquiry of Trump. According to NPR:

"Perry was part of what was dubbed 'the three amigos' — in addition to Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, former envoy to Ukraine — charged with managing the U.S.-Ukraine relationship."

A rally in Dallas before returning to D.C.

caption: A member of the audience wears a shirt that reads "Trump's Tweets Matter" before President Donald Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
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A member of the audience wears a shirt that reads "Trump's Tweets Matter" before President Donald Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Trump stopped in Dallas for a mega rally. "Trump's Tweets Matter" is a dog whistle reference to the movement "Black Lives Matter" and hints at the appeal of Trump's racist messaging.

TGIF with a flurry of tweets, including this one:


Why you can trust KUOW