President Donald Trump arrives to the commencement ceremony on Cadet Memorial Field at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., on May 20, 2026. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would have a direct conversation with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as he makes a final decision on approving U.S. companies to sell billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to Taiwan.
“I’ll speak to him,” Trump told reporters on May 20 when asked whether he would call Taiwan’s leader before deciding on Taiwan arms sales.
