Newsweek

Why the Trump, el-Sissi Romance Might Not Last in Egypt

Egyptian-American affairs have long been characterized by wild swings and ruptures.
In recent years, Egypt's el-Sissi has moved closer to Russia because he views his American counterpart, Barack Obama, with distrust.
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The life-size cutout of Hillary Clinton looked lonely. On November 8, at the U.S. Embassy’s presidential election night bash in Cairo, dozens of young Egyptians gathered in a cavernous hotel ballroom to pose with a cardboard effigy of Clinton’s opponent, Donald Trump. Despite the New York mogul’s call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, Trump is popular here, at least among government supporters. So when the Apprentice star swept the American heartland for a shocking victory, many in the Egyptian capital cheered the result.

Among them: President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump. His budding bromance with the Donald stands in contrast to his relationship with outgoing from Vladimir Putin for the country’s first nuclear power plant.

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