Trump remains hopeful for an economic rebound by November’s elections and believes returning to a normal schedule of events will help demonstrate the country’s readiness to reopen.
His visitor, Polish President Andrzej Duda, is also hoping for a political boost with his visit. He faces a tight re-election contest in four days.
Yet the resumption of in-person diplomacy can hardly mask the still-raging effects of the global pandemic. Cases continue to spike in states across the United States, and the European Union — of which Poland is a member — is considering barring Americans from entering because of the continued contagion.
Duda and his delegation will all receive coronavirus tests ahead of their visit to Washington on Wednesday, as will US officials joining afternoon meetings between Duda and Trump in the Oval Office.
The two men, both nationalist leaders whose actions have caused concern for human rights and Democracy, have forged a tight relationship since Trump visited Warsaw in 2017.
Trump has often remembered back to that trip and the large crowd that gathered in a central square to listen to him deliver a speech on US-European relations. Duda, meanwhile, has sought to curry favor with the President by seeking to name a military base in Poland Fort Trump.
“It’s premature to cite any specific number to any specific location at this time,” one official said.
Also on the agenda for the visit are energy and trade issues, regional security and reopening plans following the pandemic. Trump last held a meeting with a foreign counterpart in March when Ireland’s leader visited the White House. Days later, Trump announced restrictions on travel from the European Union, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
While Trump once hoped to welcome fellow leaders for a G7 summit in Washington at the end of June, he postponed the gathering to at least September after German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested it was too early to travel to the United States.
The officials did not address why Trump had invited Duda to the White House four days ahead of a closely contested election in Poland. Duda, who has been accused of veering into autocracy, faces several challengers.
Trump has shown a willingness to lend political support to his global allies facing tough contests, including when he hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in close proximity to Israeli elections earlier this year.
Nor did officials mention whether Trump plans to address any concerns about Duda’s anti-Democratic moves. Instead the officials characterized the visit as one of friendship after three years which have seen US-Poland ties become tighter under Trump.
