THE MEMO: Five takeaways from Trump’s news conference

President Trump held his first news conference since his inauguration on Friday, welcoming British prime minister Theresa May to the White House. 

May was the first world leader to meet with Trump face-to-face since he assumed the presidency.  

What did we learn?

Trump’s news conferences will be different

The Trump we saw on Friday was not as combative or as colorful as he can be.  

But that is not necessarily a bad thing: The president committed no gaffes during the encounter, which his aides will be satisfied with at the end of a tumultuous first week in power.

Trump was less polished than May, but he has often made an asset out of the fact that his style is very different from that of a conventional politician. He stuck to the plainspoken approach that serves him well electorally, even as pundits disparage it.

Just as importantly, there was comparatively little of the bombast that can imbue Trump’s tweets or his speeches. He was relatively subdued and even showed a flash of humor toward the media. 

The first British reporter to ask a question, Laura Kuennsberg of the BBC, suggested Britons would find Trump’s views “alarming.” 

Trump, turning to May, said wryly, “This was your choice of a question?” Amid laughter, Trump added, “There goes that relationship.”

The media detente was temporary, however. Also on Friday, Trump called the media “the opposition party,” during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Trump ceded the torture issue to his Defense Secretary

One of the most surprising moments came when Trump was asked about his views on torture. He had said in an interview earlier this week that he believes it “absolutely” works.

Trump did not back away from that position on Friday. Instead, he said that he would allow his secretary of Defense, retired general James Mattis, to “override” him.

Referring to Mattis’s belief that torture is ineffective, Trump said, “I don’t necessarily agree but I would tell you that he will override because I’m giving him that power.” 

At a political level, this is a deft move. It allows Trump to avoid walking away from his own position, yet shields his administration from the opprobrium it would receive if it reintroduced torture. 

It also avoids embarrassing May. Under British law, UK armed forces and intelligence agencies cannot take part in operations in which torture is used by allies. 

Trump discomforted allies on Russia (again)

The clearest daylight between Trump and May came on the issue of Russia.

Asked about reports that he was considering easing sanctions on Russia, Trump was vague, and he certainly did not push back hard on the idea. He said merely it was “very early to be talking about” a change — phrasing which seemed to suggest his door was at least ajar for such a shift. 

By contrast, May was crystal clear. Referring to an agreement that was intended to end fighting near the Ukrainian-Russian border, but has not yet done so, May said, “we want to see the Minsk Agreement fully implemented. We believe the sanctions should continue until we see that Minsk Agreement fully implemented.” 

Trump’s contrasting view, and his broader assertion that a “great relationship with Russia” would be “a tremendous asset,” will stoke further unease in some European capitals.  

Trump’s perceived closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin is as contentious in much of Europe as it is in the United States.

Trump did his best to help the British PM

The president affirmed the “most special relationship” between the U.S. and the UK. He also accepted an invitation to make a state visit to the United Kingdom later this year. And he promised that he and May personally would have “a fantastic relationship.” 

May asserted that the president had said he was “100 percent behind NATO” and Trump did not contradict her, despite his previous assertion that the alliance was “obsolete.”  He also said that he thought the forthcoming Brexit would “end up being a fantastic thing for the United Kingdom.” 

May did her part, too, congratulating Trump on his “stunning election victory” — a compliment that seemed to please the president, judging from his body language.

The British prime minister arrived in Washington between a rock and a hard place. As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, a strong relationship with the U.S. is all the more important. Yet excessive closeness to Trump is politically risky for her, since the new president is viewed with the deepest skepticism by the British media and chattering classes.

Trump did as much as he could to avoid deepening her difficulties.

It was short

The entire news conference lasted around 18 minutes. In addition to brief introductory remarks, the leaders took two questions from American journalists and two from their British counterparts. 

Trump’s relatively brief answers were a break from President Obama, who often took a more discursive, professorial approach. 

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage, primarily focused on Donald Trump’s presidency.