Trump Backs Egypt’s Sisi After Rare Protests Spark Crackdown
- ‘Everybody has demonstrations,’ Trump says on sidelines of UN
- Weekend’s street action unusual in tightly controlled nation
Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, hold a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23.
Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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U.S. President Donald Trump backed his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, as a “highly respected leader” who “brought order,” dismissing small protests that pointed to simmering economic frustrations.
“Demonstrations? No, everybody has demonstrations,” Trump said during a meeting with El-Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. “Egypt has a great leader, he’s highly respected, he’s brought order. Before he was here, there was very little order, there was chaos. So I’m not worried about that.”