Administration

Trump arrives in Vietnam ahead of summit with Kim

President Trump arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday ahead of his two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump deplaned from Air Force One around 9 p.m. local time in Hanoi, where he stepped on to a red carpet and was greeted by Vietnamese officials. After spending a few minutes talking with greeters, Trump climbed into a car and drove toward his hotel for the evening.

Trump praised the “great reception” and “tremendous crowds” shortly after he arrived in Vietnam.

“Just arrived in Vietnam. Thank you to all of the people for the great reception in Hanoi. Tremendous crowds, and so much love!” he tweeted.

The president touched down in Vietnam after a roughly 20-hour flight that included stops to refuel in the United Kingdom and Qatar.

Trump’s arrival coincided with his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, reaching Capitol Hill, where he is set to meet with lawmakers for the first of three straight days of testimony.{mosads}

Cohen will reportedly say at a public hearing on Wednesday that Trump engaged in criminal conduct while in office, and has a history of making racist comments and altering his net worth for business purposes.

The hearing is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning, likely shortly after Trump concludes his first round of talks with Kim in Hanoi.

The North Korean leader arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday morning local time following a nearly 70-hour train ride. He was also welcomed with a red carpet and a host of Vietnamese officials before he made his way to his hotel.

Trump is expected to meet with Vietnamese leaders on Wednesday ahead of his first round of talks with Kim. The two men will then hold another round of discussions on Thursday.

The two-day summit comes as the U.S. pushes for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump has publicly expressed optimism about the summit, but has said he’s in “no rush” to get North Korea to commit to denuclearization as long as Pyongyang has halted missile testing.

Trump and Kim first came together last June in Singapore, which marked the first time the sitting leaders of the two countries met face-to-face.

Updated 10:10 a.m.