One of Trump's Top Foreign Trip Achievements? An Agreement to Stop Financing Terror, Says White House

At his first on-camera briefing of the press since President Trump returned to Washington, Sean Spicer spent a good 10 minutes Tuesday recapping the highlights of an "incredible, historic trip" to the Middle East and Europe. "We've never seen before at this point in a presidency such sweeping reassurance of American interest, and the inauguration of a foreign policy strategy designed to bring back the world from growing dangers and perpetual disasters brought on by years of failed leadership," said Spicer.

Beyond "sweeping reassurances," what does the White House believe Trump's trip actually accomplished, particularly on strengthening America's national security? When I asked a senior White House aide this, the immediate response was the agreement between the United States and the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council aiming to stop the financing of terrorism in the Middle East. This "memorandum of understanding" also earned a mention in a new Wall Street Journal op-ed from national security adviser H.R. McMaster and director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn. So far, the White House has not released a copy of the memorandum.

Here was how the Washington Post reported on the agreement:

The memorandum of understanding between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, includes the creation of a center in Riyadh to fight extremism.

Dina Powell, Trump's deputy national security adviser, called the agreement the "farthest-reaching commitment to not ­finance terrorist organizations" and said the Treasury Department would monitor it along with the gulf governments.