The Note: Trump makes historic trip to Israel

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May 22, 2017

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Trump makes historic trip to Israel

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY What you

1. Trump has touched down in Israel where he hopes to kick-start the peace process by meeting today with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and tomorrow with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. 2. He gave a major speech in Saudi Arabia notable in part for a formerly common phrase of his that he did not use -- "radical Islamic terrorism." He also skipped out on a Twitter forum for young people, leaving that to Ivanka Trump. 3. Meanwhile back in Washington, Trump's budget proposal would cut Medicaid and other entitlements by $1.7 trillion, Axios reports. 4. Still the talk of the town - the NYT report that Trump told Russian officials that firing "nut job" Comey had "taken off" pressure from investigation and the WaPo report that a WH official is now a "person of interest" in the Trump-Russia investigation.

THE TAKE with ABC News' RICK KLEIN

He's both making history and breaking promises. And all he's trying to is both solve Middle East peace and salvage his presidency. Even for President Trump, the split-screens that will define the week will be jarring. He will be abroad while the Russia scandal, his domestic agenda, and the political fallout of all of that play out back home (keep an eye on Thursday's special election in Montana). The president is consistent in his inconsistencies, whether it's breaking a promise to label "radical Islamic terrorism" or not to cut Medicaid, or touting donations from the Saudis. It's the Trump improvisational style on the national and international stage – and it carries with it the hope that the public will not just forgive but follow along. "I think the president's views, like we hope the American people's views, are going to continue to evolve," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said en route to Israel. It's a go-big-or-go-home approach to policy. As for home, this is the kind of swirl the president has thrived on – unless, of course, it subsumes his presidency.

ANALYSIS: TRUMP EMBRACES -- AND CHALLENGES -- THE MUSLIM WORLD

"The images were striking and so were the words, including the words that were not said. There was Donald Trump standing before leaders of about 50 Muslim nations -- the same Donald Trump who, as a candidate, declared, "I think Islam hates us" and who proposed a "total and complete shutdown" that would have prohibited every person in that audience from stepping foot in the United States." ABC's Jonathan Karl: http://abcn.ws/2qIilGY

THE SLEEPER STORY with ABC News' Shushannah Walshe

Remember those campaign promises not to cut Medicaid? Well, expect to be reminded about them this week. That's because the president's budget is expected to be released tomorrow and it will include $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid, according to media reports. It won't just be Democrats fighting the move, but so will those Trump-supporting Republicans in red states who rely on the coverage. That's because this is a clear broken campaign promise from Trump. It's easy to look back at the president's tweets to see how he promised to be the "first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security. Medicare & Medicaid." He also tweeted the "Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. A robust economy will Make America Great Again!" One thing we can expect? The president's opponents will look to make those hurt by this broken promise heard loud and clear.

WHAT TO WATCH TODAY

President Trump will be the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall. President Trump will give remarks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tonight, following their meeting.