Abu Dhabi – On Monday, President Trump removed his shoes to fully appreciate the beauty of the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates.
“It’s so beautiful,” he remarked, lifting his legs in a sign of respect, while speaking to reporters inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
“This is an incredible culture.”
During his visit, Trump, aged 78, was present at the ornate white marble structure where the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, recently collaborated with Disney to develop a theme park on Yas Island.
The president noted with pride that his visit resulted in the mosque being closed for the day for the first time.
“It pays homage to the United States. It’s better than honoring me,” Trump expressed. “Let’s hand it over to the country. That’s a huge tribute.”
He emphasized, “I’m extremely proud of my friends.”
Only a select few presidents have visited the mosque, with even fewer venturing beyond the American coast.
Bill Clinton toured the mosque in 1998, while Joe Biden visited the same mosque, as well as Senegal’s Grand Mosque, during his vice presidency in 2016.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to visit in 1957, speaking at the Islamic Center’s opening in Washington, not far from the White House.
John F. Kennedy spoke at the Syrian Mosque in Pittsburgh during his successful campaign in 1960. George W. Bush addressed the Islamic Center in Washington just days after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and Obama visited the Islamic Association in Baltimore in 2016.
Trump described it as an honor that the mosque was closed for his visit.
During his first presidential campaign in 2015, Trump suggested a “complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” amid global terrorism concerns. He later aimed to restrict travel from certain countries during his first term.
However, last year, he garnered significant support from Muslim leaders in key swing states like Michigan, particularly upset with Biden’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. In March, Trump hosted an Iftar dinner at the White House during Ramadan.
On his first significant foreign trip of his second term, he was warmly received by royals in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
