first president to visit a foreign country in office

• Who Was the First US President to Visit a Foreign Country While in Office?

Introduction

Theodore Roosevelt was the first serving president of the United States to travel out of the country on official business. Although preceding presidents had traveled outside the United States on other diplomatic capacities, Roosevelt was the first to make a state visit while in office. On November 9, 1906, Roosevelt embarked on a 17-day trip to Panama and Puerto Rico to examine the construction progress of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt's visit signaled a new era in the way serving presidents formed diplomatic relations with other countries.

First Diplomatic Visit

In the 19th century, international travels by serving presidents were taboo according to American social conventions. The public did not want their presidents to exchange bows, visit grand palaces, and mingle with royalty from other countries. The American public only welcomed domestic travels by politicians, as it gave them an opportunity to interact with those they had elected. However, towards the beginning of the 20th century, federal policymakers began evaluating the country’s role in international affairs, thus commissioning the first state visit by President Teddy Roosevelt. During his political career, Roosevelt believed that countries, just like individuals, ought to pursue law, peace, and order as part of the strenuous life and maintain diplomatic stewardship with other countries.

Roosevelt took office in 1901 after the assassination of President William McKinley, and hoped to assert influence in Central and South America following his previous experiences in the region. In 1897, Roosevelt was appointed Secretary of the US Navy by President McKinley. During his term as Naval Secretary, Roosevelt commissioned the construction of the Panama Canal to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. He considered the canal a symbol of America's triumph in determination and technological know-how. The canal suffered major setbacks, including fatal accidents and disease outbreaks among construction workers, and as a result Roosevelt demanded improvements in the working conditions, including the provision of better healthcare. A photo of the president working the controls of a large steam shovel rekindled morale for the canal's completion. Construction of the canal is considered his greatest accomplishment as president.

After his visit to the Panama Canal, Roosevelt visited Puerto Rico and recommended that the country’s citizens become US citizens, but that Puerto Rico remain autonomous. In 1900, President McKinley promised to establish a civilian government in the country after the Spanish-American War. After McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Roosevelt took over the stewardship of Puerto Rico, making the island an autonomous country without US occupation. His wish was executed in 1916 during the reign of President Wilson Woodrow, through the Jones Act that made Puerto Ricans official US citizens, while preserving the island's autonomy. Upon completion of his visit, Roosevelt returned to the US on November 26, 1906.

Modern Diplomatic Visits

After the Second World War, international visits by Presidents of the United States became a valuable part of American diplomacy and international relations. In the 21st century, international travels have become complicated undertakings that require months of planning, as well as a great deal of coordination between states.

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The First President To Travel Abroad

President Obama is in Africa this week on a three-country tour. But who was the first president to go abroad? Biographer Edmund Morris tells us about President Teddy Roosevelt's historic trip to Panama in 1906.

JACKI LYDEN, HOST:

President Obama's trip this week adds a few countries to the dozens long list of those he's visited in his two terms in office. But it was only at the beginning of the last century that an American president first ventured beyond the country's borders.

EDMUND MORRIS: It was a tradition that the president of the United States should stay home and govern the country during his term of office. And Theodore Roosevelt was the first person to break that tradition.

LYDEN: That's historian and author Edmund Morris. The year was 1906 and Theodore Roosevelt, who Morris calls TR, made history when he traveled to Panama. Plagued by disease and construction mishaps, the Panama Canal project was floundering. The U.S. had supported Panama's revolution against Colombia. Then after millions of dollars and man-hours were invested, progress was once again being made.

MORRIS: The dirt was flying in TR's phrase, and he wanted to go down and see the dirt fly and work the steam shovels and have himself a good time and have himself a lot of press attention.

LYDEN: Known for his rough rider frontier persona, Theodore Roosevelt embraced the caricature.

MORRIS: Theodore Roosevelt was God's gift to the American press. His personality was outsized. Everything he did was flamboyant and funny and attention-getting and symbolic.

LYDEN: Marching into the jungle, he stepped behind the controls of steam shovels digging through the soggy ground. Shutters snapped.

MORRIS: He triumphantly announced his return by sending an illustrated message to Congress. This was itself an historic first. An actual bound book full of photographs of the Panama Canal and its construction and himself there. And that kept the story alive and advertised to the world what he had done.

LYDEN: (Unintelligible) now, of course. But, says Morris, there is one important distinction between Theodore Roosevelt's journey and this president's trip.

MORRIS: Obama is following the grand old tradition of leaving the country in order to attract headlines at a time when he was - when he himself is not doing very well at home. Whereas TR left the country at just about the height of his power and popularity in 1906.

By going there and seeing the canal under construction, he was dramatizing to the world the fact that the United States was itself a world power and able to improve the commerce of the world.

LYDEN: The president announced a multi-billion dollar assist to Africa to expand economic growth, investment and trade, parallel themes just over a century apart.

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NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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This Day In History : January 14

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FDR becomes first president to travel by airplane on U.S. official business

On January 14, 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first president to travel on official business by airplane. Crossing the Atlantic by air, Roosevelt flew in a Boeing 314 Flying Boat dubbed the Dixie Clipper to a World War II strategy meeting with Winston Churchill at Casablanca in North Africa. With German U-boats taking a heavy toll on American marine traffic in the Atlantic, Roosevelt’s advisors reluctantly agreed to send him via airplane. Roosevelt, at a frail 60 years old, gamely made the arduous 17,000-mile round trip.

The secret and circuitous journey began on January 11, with the plane stopping several times over four days to refuel and for its passengers to rest. Roosevelt and his entourage left Florida , touched down in the Caribbean, continued down the southern coast of South America to Brazil and then flew across the Atlantic to Gambia. They reached Casablanca on January 14. After a successful meeting with Churchill, as well as some sightseeing and visits to the troops, Roosevelt retraced the route back to the United States, celebrating his 61st birthday somewhere over Haiti.

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• Department History
• Presidential and Secretaries Travels Abroad

Theodore Roosevelt

The President Abroad: International Travels Of U.S. Presidents

In honor of Presidents’ Day, we mapped the many international travels of past U.S. presidents. While presidential travels abroad weren’t common until the 20th century, there is now an abundance of data from the 19 presidents who did travel internationally. One president took 140 trips abroad while in office. Care to take a guess about which of the U.S. presidents caught the travel bug and traveled internationally the most? How about the president who preferred to keep their feet on U.S. soil and traveled abroad only once? The number of presidential trips abroad varied greatly from president to president, as did the number of times U.S. presidents visited certain countries. Some countries have been visited over 30 times by past presidents while other countries have only ever been visited by a U.S. president once.

View International Trips by Presidents in a full screen map

The map shows the international travels of past U.S. presidents, and if you keep on reading, you’ll learn about the trends of presidential trips abroad, pulled from the State Department’s list.

The Beginning Of Presidential Travels Abroad

There are only 19 U.S. presidents on the map as presidents didn’t begin traveling abroad until the 1900s. Public opinion and a lack of transportation limited presidential trips abroad before the 1900s and even throughout the first few decades of the 20th century. Before the 20th century, Americans favored domestic presidential travel. However, they frowned at the thought of their president rubbing elbows with other world leaders. But, as the U.S.’s role in international affairs changed, so did public opinion. In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt made the first presidential trip abroad to Panama City. This visit sparked the international travel bug in future U.S. presidents. Each president since Theodore Roosevelt has made at least one trip abroad while in office.

Transportation also played a significant part in the increase of presidential travels abroad throughout the 20th century. Early presidents traveled abroad by steamship, which took forever. This limited the number of trips abroad U.S. presidents were willing and able to make while in office. When Woodrow Wilson made the first presidential trip to Europe via ship in 1918, it took nine days. Yet, forty years later, after many transportation innovations, Dwight Eisenhower made the same journey by jet in just nine hours.

Presidents Who Traveled The Most

Any ideas about which U.S. presidents traveled abroad the most? Here’s a hint: the top three presidential jet-setters are also the three most recent past presidents:

• George W. Bush (2001–2009) — 140 international trips
• Bill Clinton (1993–2001) — 133 international trips
• Barack Obama (2009–2017) — 120 international trips

George W. Bush traveled abroad more than any other president to date. During his presidency, Bush visited Russia seven times. He also visited both Mexico and Italy six times each. George W. Bush took seven more trips abroad than Bill Clinton, but both Bush and Clinton visited 74 international locations around the world. Bill Clinton frequently traveled to Italy and Germany. He also dropped by the U.K. on seven different occasions. Obama visited 61 international locations in total, most frequently visiting Germany, which he traveled to 13 times. Obama also paid many visits to both France and Japan.

Presidents Who Traveled The Least

The U.S. presidents whose total international travels were in the single-digits include:

• Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) — 1 international trip
• Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) — 1 international trip
• William Howard Taft (1909–1913) — 2 international trips
• Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) — 3 international trips
• Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) — 7 international trips

Where do these homebodies have in common? Roosevelt, Taft, and Harding all traveled once to Panama. Calvin Coolidge only traveled abroad to Cuba. Harding and Truman both traveled at least once to the U.K. and Canada. Taft and Truman have a trip to Mexico in common. In addition to the U.K., Canada, and Mexico, Truman also ventured to Belgium, Germany, and Brazil during his presidency.

The Ebbs And Flows Of Presidential Trips Abroad

It’s to be expected that the very first U.S. presidents to travel abroad didn’t make 100 different trips. However, after Theodore Roosevelt’s pioneering trip, other presidents followed suit, resulting in a steady increase in presidential travel abroad. William Taft traveled abroad twice. Woodrow Wilson made more international trips (10) than any other president at the time. Unfortunately, this is where the trend ended. After Wilson, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge traveled abroad less than the U.S. presidents who came before them.

Harding’s decrease in international travel may be explained by his death 881 days into his term. However, Harding’s V.P. Calvin Coolidge served in office for six years and only traveled abroad once. After Coolidge, Herbert Hoover made 10 international trips followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt who made 52 voyages abroad. While FDR had a 12-year presidency in which to travel, Harry Truman, his successor, still had eight years to go abroad. Truman only made it abroad to seven places, though. Dwight Eisenhower then picked up the pace with 37 trips. John F. Kennedy made 16 out-of-the-country trips before his assassination. Lyndon B. Johnson traveled abroad 27 times, and Richard Nixon made 42 trips. Gerald Ford traveled less than others throughout his presidency. However, Ford was also the start of a new trend that continued until recently.

Obama Ends A Trend While Still Traveling More Than Most Presidents

Every president since Gerald Ford traveled more than their predecessor… until Barack Obama. Ford traveled abroad 19 times, Jimmy Carter 31 times, and Ronald Reagan made it to 49 places abroad. George H.W. Bush visited 60 locations and Bill Clinton set the bar high when he visited 133 different places around the world. However, George W. Bush blew them all out of the park with his 140 visits abroad. To be fair, 140 trips is hard to beat, even for Barack Obama, the U.S.’s first African American president. It’s an interesting pattern of increasing presidential trips abroad that ended with Obama’s 120 trips. But, we can still acknowledge that Obama visited more international locations than 84% of U.S. presidents who traveled abroad.

Countries With The Most U.S. Presidential Visits (And The Least)

Altogether, U.S. presidents have visited the U.K., France, Canada, Mexico, and Germany more than 30 times so far. On the other hand, there are 30 countries which have only been visited by a U.S. president once, like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Then, there are 17 countries where a U.S. president visited no more than twice. These include Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Haiti, Iceland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Syria, and Uganda.

If you’re on a presidential kick, be sure to check out our other useful president-related maps like presidential assassination attempts mapped and the births and burials of U.S. presidents. Alternatively, head over to our map of the places named after George Washington to see just how many places named after America’s very first president are near you.

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Historical Data

• Number of countries visited by U.S. presidents 1906-2021

Number of individual countries visited by each U.S. president (officially, unofficially or while vacationing) between 1906 and February 2021

Additional Information

Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service

United States

1906 to 2021

All visits to now-defunct countries or former-colonies have been recorded in their current form (i.e. visits to French Algeria or to Ukraine during the Soviet era have been recorded as Algeria and Ukraine respectively). Current overseas territories, such as Bermuda (British) and Martinique (French) have been recorded separately from their metropole. Non-UN states have been recorded as individual countries, they are; Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan and the Vatican City. The majority of the information came from the individual entries for each president on the linked source. Data for President Trump is incomplete on the Department of State website, therefore a number of other sources have been used to compile this information.

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Interactive Map Shows the History of Presidential Travel

President Trump’s first foreign trip follows a long line of international visits by heads of state

Brigit Katz

Correspondent

President Trump recently concluded his first foreign tour , during which he traveled to five different countries, met with a bevy of international leaders, and had a meme-worthy encounter with a glowing orb . Counting Trump’s trip, U.S. presidents have made 921 visits to foreign locations since the early 20th century. A new interactive map explores the history of presidential jet-setting, tracking the many diplomatic excursions that have been made across the globe, as Greg Miller reports for National Geographic .

Titled “ The Executive Abroad ,” the map was created by the University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab. Using travel records from the Office of the Historian at the U.S. State Department, a group of students compiled data on trips made by U.S. presidents and their secretaries of state. When you toggle through officials’ names, dots pop up across the map, each signifying a foreign visit. The dots are color-coded based on geographic region, and clicking on them reveals the date and reason for the trip.

The chronology of the map beings in 1906 with Theodore Roosevelt, who became the first sitting American president to travel outside the country when he took a trip to view the construction of the Panama Canal . The graph-like outer ring of the map, which shows the frequency of international visits, indicates that foreign trips were rare occasions until after the Second World War. Robert Nelson, director of the Digital Scholarship Lab, tells Miller that the shift can be attributed to two factors: the rise of jet aircraft, which made traveling easier, and America’s growing soft power influence in the wake of WWII.

Rates of presidential travel really took off in the late 1950s, as indicated by peaks on the map’s outer ring. “[T]he map conveys how significantly travel by the executive branch has grown over the past eleven decades,” Nelson says in a press release . “In the first decade of the 20th century, presidents Roosevelt and Taft together made three trips to two places. A century later, George W. Bush and Barack Obama together made more than 300 trips all over the globe.”

The map reveals other trends. Presidents have taken more trips to Asia and Africa in recent years, for instance, while secretaries of state travel to the Middle East more frequently than presidents—possibly, Miller writes, “because presidential visits are more ceremonial, whereas secretaries of state are the ones dispatched to regions where there’s hard diplomatic work to be done.”

With its plethora of multi-colored dots, the map also highlights crucial moments in American political history: Woodrow Wilson’s trip to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, FDR’s 1943 meeting with Stalin and Churchill in Tehran, and other high-stakes visits undertaken by heads of state.

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Brigit Katz | | READ MORE

Brigit Katz is a freelance writer based in Toronto. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including NYmag.com, Flavorwire and Tina Brown Media's Women in the World.

This Was The First Sitting US President To Leave The Country

Modern Americans may have a reputation for insularity, but things have massively improved on this front in the last 100 years or more. Although it seems absurd today, there was once a taboo on presidents traveling abroad, and none would dare to tread outside U.S. borders while in office — until 1906 .

As Richard Elis writes in his book "Presidential Travel,"  disappearing across the ocean was once believed to conflict with America's proud history of republicanism. Meetings with monarchs are often accompanied by an arms race of elaborate ceremonial, and this kind of lofty diplomacy just didn't look right for a person who was supposed to be first among equals. Better to stay at home, a world away from the glittering despots of Europe. Only in the 20th century did foreign travel start to become normal — as well as much quicker and simpler. The first president to explore the world outside the U.S. while still in office was Teddy Roosevelt , a man too adventurous to be confined at home. Roosevelt's trip was carefully managed PR-wise, and it quite literally opened up a whole new world for other presidents.

Roosevelt's trip

On the whole, Theodore Roosevelt was an outward-looking president — an interventionist, and a believer in international institutions. Unsurprisingly, he was also the first president daring enough to make that fateful trip across the border. That said, Roosevelt only broke with convention to visit a brand new American territory — the Panama Canal Zone , a small strip of Panama that was sold to the U.S. by Colombia in 1903. Erring on the side of caution, the public was informed that the president would remain in touch with home at all times via telegraph.

Beginning his trip, Roosevelt disembarked on the presidential yacht and sailed down the coast to visit the 10-mile-wide slice of America abroad. For publicity purposes, the president was photographed doing various activities pretty much exclusively in the Canal Zone — including sitting happily on a crane like a big kid. His meeting with the Panamanian president was not mentioned directly in his public itinerary, and perhaps the key to the adventure's success was that it was presented as a humble affair. On one of his days there, the president and his wife even sat down to dine with the canal workers in their canteen.

While in the country, Roosevelt used his pioneering visit for political clout with the Panamanians. In 1906, The New York Times reported that he made a big deal of the fact that Panama had been chosen for the first-ever presidential trip abroad — noting that it was a country he happened to admire.

A whole new world

Although some things about Teddy Roosevelt's political agenda in Panama did attract some criticism, it seemed that most people didn't mind his jaunt abroad. Roosevelt would turn out to be one of America's most adventurous presidents period, and after he left office he traveled all over Africa and South America. With the precedence set, Roosevelt's successor William Taft  followed his example and also visited Panama in 1909, 1910, and 1912. In addition to visiting the American territories of Puerto Rico and Cuba, Taft also spent three to four hours south of the border in Mexico.

As silly as it seems now, there was good reason for both Roosevelt and Taft to fear public reprisals. A few years later, Woodrow Wilson's decision to go on the first-ever presidential trip to Europe in 1918 was very poorly received by some. After World War I, Americans had no appetite for foreign interests, and the Republicans even attempted to transfer Wilson's powers to his vice president during his two-month journey. Nonetheless, foreign travel was here to stay — Wilson kept his presidential powers, and many presidents after him embarked on trips abroad.

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These online exhibits and digital collections explore some of the artifacts, photos and videos, and documents housed in the George W. Bush Presidential Library. 

The George W. Bush Presidential Library maintains approximately 43,000 artifacts, primarily foreign and domestic gifts given to the President and Mrs. Laura Bush, and other items obtained throughout the presidency.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library gives researchers a look at American history, the American Presidency, and important issues of public policy.      

Discover educational resources for teachers, parents, and students. The education program provides engaging, hands-on classroom resources, professional development programming, information on the Civics for All of US program, and more.

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President's Foreign Trips

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush arrive in Monrovia, Liberia, February 21, 2008.

View in the National Archives Catalog

The George W. Bush Foundation owns and operates the George W. Bush Presidential Museum. For tickets go to  https://www.bushcenter.org/ plan-your-visit  

During his administration, President George W. Bush made 48 international trips to 73 countries (in addition to visiting the West Bank), visiting every continent except Antarctica. President Bush traveled to Russia seven times, making it his most visited country while in office. President Bush also made several trips each to crucial allies such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Iraq. 

In 2003, President Bush made history, becoming the first American President to make an official state visit to the United Kingdom. During the trip, President and Mrs. Bush dined with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. President Bush met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and other British political leaders to discuss ways forward in the war against terror.

President Bush followed up one historic trip with another, becoming the first American president to visit Iraq, when he surprised American troops in Baghdad on Thanksgiving in 2003. In addition to breaking bread with US servicemen and women, the President also helped serve dinner. 

During these international visits, President Bush met with dozens of world leaders and advanced causes important to him, notably the War on Terror, the fight against AIDS in Africa, the importance of democracy, and strengthening relations with the United States’ allies.

The following resources, some of which are from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, provide further information about the President's foreign trips.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request

• 2014-0532-F: Mrs. Laura Bush's Trip to India in March 2006
• 2015-0192-F: Thank You Notes and Acknowledgement of Liberian Gifts
• 2015-0271-F: Calendar Records Related to President George W. Bush's Meetings with British Opposition Conservative Party Leaders Ian DuncanSmith, Michael Howard, David Cameron, and William Hague

Archival Research Guide

For a more complete guide of the archival records that are open for research, please download the Archival Research Guide:

Document Material at the George W. Bush Presidential Library Pertaining to the President's Foreign Trips

Additional Resources

• President's Trip to Europe and Russia, May 23-28, 2002
• President's Visit to the United Kingdom, November 18-21, 2003
• President's Visit to Chile and APEC Summit, November 19-21, 2004
• President's Visit to Europe, February 21-25, 2005
• President's Visit to Europe and Russia, May 6-10, 2005
• President's Visit to Denmark and G8 Summit, July 5-8, 2005
• President's Visit to Latin America and Summit of the Americas, November 3-7, 2005
• President's Trip to Germany and Russia and G8 Summit, July 12-16, 2006
• President's Trip to Southeast Asia, November 14-21, 2006
• President's Visit to Latin America, March 8-14, 2007
• President's Trip to Europe and G8 Summit in Germany, June 6-8, 2007
• President's Middle East Trip, January 8-16, 2008
• President's Trip to Africa, February 15-21, 2008
• President's Middle East Trip, May 13-18, 2008
• President's Trip to Europe, June 9-16, 2008
• President's Trip to Asia, August 4-11, 2008

For more "In Focus" information about the President's Foreign Trips, visit the archived White House website .

• President's Visit to Asia, February 16-22, 2002
• President's Visit to Latin America, March 21-24, 2002
• President's Trip to Europe and Russia, November 19-23, 2002
• President's Visit to Ireland, April 7-8, 2003
• President's Visit to Europe and the Middle East, May 31-June 5, 2003
• President's Visit to Africa, July 8-12, 2003
• President's Visit to Asia and Australia, October 18-22, 2003
• President's Visit to Canada, November 30-December 1, 2004
• President's Visit to The Vatican, April 6-8, 2005
• President's Visit to Austria and Hungary, June 21-22, 2006

For more "Photo Essays" of the President's Foreign Trips, visit the archived White House website .

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5 facts about presidential travel abroad

American presidents and other world leaders frequently travel internationally, most commonly for conferences and bilateral meetings. This face-to-face diplomacy can offer insights into political priorities, partnerships and tensions, as well as key international issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel in 2020 and 2021, but diplomatic travel picked up significantly in 2022. Here are five facts about presidential travel abroad:

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to examine the international travel history of recent U.S. presidents and other heads of government through Jan. 20, 2023.

Dates and destinations of U.S. presidential travel prior to 2021 are from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian, which has recorded international presidential travel since 1901. Travel data for 2021 and 2022 was compiled from White House press briefings. Information on visits to Ukraine by other world leaders were independently verified through official government websites.

Only trips where the head of government met face-to-face with another head of government are included. For example, Biden’s trip to the UK for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is excluded as Biden did not hold any diplomatic meetings with the British prime minister or other world leaders. Visiting leaders were only counted if they were the head of government at the time of their visit. Depending on the country’s political system, “head of government” could mean president or prime minister, but not both. Heads of state, monarchs and interim leaders are excluded from the visiting leaders count.

U.S. President Joe Biden has traveled internationally less frequently than his last two predecessors did. Biden traveled to 17 places outside the United States in his first two years in office, visiting some more than once. He made six international trips in 2021, all of them to Europe. In 2022, he made 12 trips, including to Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. And in early 2023, Biden traveled to Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit.

All told, Biden’s international visit count trails those of former Presidents Donald Trump, who made 23 international trips to 20 places during his first two years in office, and Barack Obama, who made 32 trips to 24 places in the first two years of his presidency.

Biden’s first presidential trip abroad was to the United Kingdom, while Trump’s was to Saudi Arabia and Obama’s was to Canada. A president’s first trip is often used to signal the importance of a strategic alliance. On his trip to the UK in June 2021, Biden reaffirmed the U.S.-UK partnership and committed to close cooperation throughout his presidency. Typically, U.S. presidents visit a close ally on their inaugural trip: Canada was the first international destination for both Obama and Bill Clinton, while Mexico was the first destination for George W. Bush.

U.S. presidents have visited the UK the most in the past decade – a total of eight times. American presidents have worked closely with their British counterparts over the past decade, cooperating on issues from defense and counterterrorism to climate policy . Travel to the UK has largely centered around conferences and summits, but in 2019, Trump made a ceremonial state visit to the UK .  

In the past decade of presidential travel, Belgium (home to NATO headquarters ), France, Germany and Japan are the second-most visited destinations, at six times each.

So far, Biden has made the most trips to the UK and Belgium – two each. (Biden’s additional visit to the UK to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is not included in this count, since he did not hold any diplomatic appointments.) Just as these two European allies stand out in Biden’s presidential travel thus far, France stands out in Trump’s administration and Germany stands out in Obama’s – they visited those respective countries four times while in office.

Biden is among 38 heads of government who have visited Ukraine since the beginning of the war there. Biden traveled to Kyiv as part of a surprise trip in February, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion .

While many heads of government visiting Ukraine have come from neighboring countries or countries in Europe (such as Poland’s prime minister, who has visited five times since the beginning of the war) that is not always the case. For example, Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei and Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló traveled to Ukraine in July 2022 and October 2022, respectively.

Biden hosted 28 heads of government at the White House as of the end of 2022. Foreign leaders come to the U.S. for events including conferences, summits and bilateral meetings. Among those to visit the White House in 2021 and 2022 were then-Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, who met with Biden to submit her country’s application for NATO membership ; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who traveled to the White House on his first known wartime trip abroad ; and French President Emmanuel Macron, whose trip marked the first state visit of Biden’s presidency . In fact, the president of France has been the first leader to make a state visit to the U.S. for the past three presidential terms, with Macron visiting Trump in April 2018 and his predecessor, François Hollande, visiting Obama in February 2014. In April 2023, Biden hosted the second state visit of his administration , meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Presidential Milestones: The First President to Visit All 50 States

Exploring the historic achievement of a u.s. president's nationwide journey..

President Obama's visit to South Dakota Friday means he'll be able to strike a major item from his bucket list: visiting all 50 states while holding the highest office in the United States. This accomplishment marks an important milestone in presidential history, showcasing the dedication and commitment of the nation's leaders to connect with their citizens across the entire country.

While George Washington may get a lot of fanfare for being the first commander-in-chief, there are plenty of other presidential milestones that deserve recognition. One such milestone is being the first president to visit every state in the nation. President Obama's achievement exemplifies his desire to engage with Americans from all walks of life and understand the diverse challenges and opportunities they face.

Presidential visits to foreign countries are common, but it is equally significant when a president embarks on their first foreign trip. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky recently traveled to Washington to meet with President Joe Biden, highlighting the importance of international relations and diplomacy. This visit serves as a reminder that leaders must foster strong relationships with other nations to address global issues effectively.

It's no accident that President Obama is giving his first commencement speech of the season in the last of the 50 states he had yet to visit. This symbolic gesture demonstrates the president's commitment to education and his belief in the transformative power of knowledge. By addressing graduates in South Dakota, President Obama emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and the pursuit of academic excellence.

In 2023, Prime Minister Modi concluded his three-day visit to the United States with an address to the Indian community. While not directly related to the first president to visit all 50 states, this visit highlights the significance of international engagements and the diplomatic efforts undertaken by world leaders. Such interactions contribute to strengthening global ties and fostering cooperation on various fronts, including trade, security, and cultural exchange.

Reflecting on past milestones, when then-Senator Barack Obama publicly claimed the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, it marked a significant step towards becoming the first African American president of the United States. This historical achievement shattered barriers and inspired hope, symbolizing progress in the nation's pursuit of equality and inclusivity.

Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, is known for his presidency during a tumultuous period in American history. However, before assuming the presidency, Nixon served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator, showcasing his commitment to public service and his journey towards the highest office in the land.

President Barack Obama's commencement address at a two-year technical institute in the eastern end of the state offers an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of students pursuing vocational education. By acknowledging their hard work and emphasizing the importance of technical skills, the president highlights the diverse paths to success and promotes the value of vocational training in today's society.

In conclusion, President Obama's accomplishment of being the first president to visit all 50 states showcases the dedication and commitment of U.S. leaders to connect with their citizens across the entire country. It serves as a reminder of the importance of engaging with people from different backgrounds and understanding the diverse challenges they face. This milestone contributes to the rich tapestry of presidential history and exemplifies the enduring spirit of the United States.

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Poland's Duda is latest foreign leader to meet with Trump as U.S. allies hedge their bets on November election

April 18, 2024 / 6:54 AM EDT / CBS/AP

New York — Former President Donald Trump met Wednesday in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term.

The presumptive Republican nominee hosted Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Duda's push to boost NATO members' defense spending, according to a readout from Trump's campaign.

Duda, who has long expressed admiration for Trump, is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russian's ongoing invasion. That funding has been held up by Trump allies in Congress.

As he arrived, Trump praised the Polish president, saying, "He's done a fantastic job and he's my friend."

"We had four great years together," Trump added. "We're behind Poland all the way."

Following the almost 2 1/2 hour meeting, Duda said only that it was a "friendly meeting in very nice atmosphere."

His aide, Wojciech Kolarski, also in attendance, described it as an "excellent meeting" of "two friends who reminisced on the time when for four years they cooperated while holding presidential offices," a time that was "very fruitful for Polish-U.S. relations."

Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination. U.S. allies across the world were caught off guard by Trump's surprise 2016 win, forcing them to scramble to build relationships with a president who often attacked longstanding treaties and alliances they valued. Setting up meetings with him during the 2024 campaign suggests they don't want to be behind again.

Trump's allies have been encouraging foreign countries to send diplomats and official emissaries to Mar-a-Lago to reconnect ahead of another potential Trump stint in the White House, sources with direct knowledge of the meetings confirmed to CBS News. 

Trump advisers and allies believe he'll be able to capitalize on the decline in Americans' approval of President Biden's foreign policy decisions. An April CBS News  poll  found that only 33% of Americans approve of Mr. Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, down from 44% in October.  

Even as he goes on trial for one of the four criminal indictments against him , Trump and Mr. Biden are locked in a rematch that most observers expect will be exceedingly close in November.

Such meetings aren't unprecedented  

While some in Poland worried the visit might damage the country's relationship with Biden, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. - a Biden ally and a major voice in his party on foreign affairs - said such meetings make sense.

"The polls are close," he said. "If I were a foreign leader - and there's a precedent attached to meeting with candidates who are nominated or on the path to being nominated - I'd probably do it too."

Murphy noted that former President Barack Obama did a lengthy international tour and met with foreign leaders when he first ran for the White House. So did Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who challenged Obama in 2012 and whose trip included a stop in Poland's capital, Warsaw.

Duda's visit comes a week after Trump met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, another NATO member and key proponent of supporting Ukraine, at the former president's Florida estate.

In March, Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an autocrat who has maintained the closest relationship with Russia among European Union countries. Orbán shared a montage of footage of the visit on his Instagram feed, which included an image of him and his staff meeting with Trump and the former president's aides in a scene that looked like an official bilateral meeting.

Trump also met briefly in February with Javier Milei, the fiery, right-wing populist president of Argentina who ran a campaign inspired by Trump, complete with red "Make Argentina Great Again" hats. Milei gave Trump an excited hug backstage at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, according to video posted by a Trump campaign aide.

Biden administration officials have been careful not to weigh in publicly on foreign leaders' meetings with Trump, acknowledging he has a real chance of winning the race.

While some officials have privately expressed frustration with such meetings, they are mindful that any criticism would open the U.S. to charges of hypocrisy because senior American officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meet frequently with foreign opposition figures at various forums in the United States and abroad.

Security and policy officials monitor the travel plans of foreign officials visiting the U.S., but generally don't have a say in where they go or with whom they meet, according to an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss protocol.

Trump has been back in his hometown this week for the start of his criminal hush money trial, which has dramatically limited his ability to travel and campaign. While in town, aides have been planning a series of events that began Tuesday evening when Trump, after court adjourned, stopped by a Harlem bodega where a man was killed to rail against crime and blast the district attorney who made him the first former president in U.S. history to stand criminal trial.

Trump-Duda as "friends"  

Duda, a right-wing populist who once proposed naming a military base in his country "Fort Trump," described the dinner earlier Wednesday as a private get-together between friends at Trump's former residence while he is in town for meetings at the United Nations, where Duda is to deliver a speech.

"I have been invited by Mr. Donald Trump to his private apartment," Duda told reporters, saying it was "a normal practice when one country has good relations with another country" to want those relations to be as strong as "possible with the representatives of various sides of the political stage."

"We know each other as people. Like two, I can say in some way, friends," said Duda, whose term ends in 2025.

Duda's visit comes as House Republicans wrangle over a $95 billion foreign aid bill that would provide new funding to Ukraine, including money for the U.S. military to replace depleting weapon supplies. Polish leaders have been urging the House to approve the aid bill and ease domestic concerns.

Many Trump allies in the House are fiercely opposed to aiding Ukraine, even as the country warns that it's struggling amid a fresh Russian offensive. Trump has said he might be open to aid in the form of a loan.

One area where Trump and Duda agree when it comes to the conflict is a desire to push NATO members to increase their defense spending. Duda has called on fellow members of the alliance to raise their spending to 3% of gross domestic product as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine. That would represent a significant increase from the current commitment of 2% by 2024.

Trump, in a stunning break from U.S. precedent, has long been critical of the Western alliance and has threatened not to defend member nations that do not hit that spending goal. That threat strikes at the heart of the alliance's Article 5, which states that any attack against one NATO member will be considered an attack against all.

In February, Trump went even further, recounting that he'd once told leaders that he would "encourage" Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to members that are - in his words - "delinquent."

Trump's campaign said the two discussed the NATO proposal during the meeting. The two also discussed Israel and the Middle East, Trump's 2017 trip to Warsaw "and many other topics having to do with getting to world peace," the campaign said in its readout, which described the men as "great friends."

The visit was met with mixed reaction in Poland, where fears of Russia run high and Duda's friendly relationship with Trump has been a source of controversy.

Poland's centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political opponent of Duda, was critical of the dinner but expressed hope that Duda would use it as an opportunity "to raise the issue of clearly siding with the Western world, democracy and Europe in this Ukrainian-Russian conflict." 

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North Carolina welcomes a historic visitor in Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is cementing economic links and cultural amity with North Carolina after a visit to Washington focused on global security issues. His visit included a historic lunch at the governor’s mansion with Gov. Roy Cooper.

North Carolina first lady Kristin Cooper, North Carolina Gov. Roy Copper, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Japan first lady Yuko Kishida pose for a photograph before attending a luncheon at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, Pool)

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Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a luncheon in his honor at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, Pool)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, back left, tour the assembly building during a visit to the Honda Aircraft facility in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, April 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, second from right, walks through the assembly building during a visit to the Honda Aircraft facility in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, April 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina and Kristin Cooper, arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and wife Kishida Yuko, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper addresses a luncheon in honor of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, Pool)

Japan first lady Yuko Kishida, center, is flanked by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left and Shigeo Yamada, Japan Ambassador to the United States, during a luncheon in honor of the Prime Minister at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, Pool)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cemented economic links and cultural amity with North Carolina on Friday, following up time in Washington during his official U.S. visit by checking up on benchmark Japanese companies building in the ninth-most populous state and meeting with students.

In between, Kishida lunched at the governor’s mansion in Raleigh, a historic first for the head of a foreign country in the Tar Heel state. Japan is North Carolina’s largest source of foreign direct investment, where over 200 Japanese companies have now set up shop, employing over 30,000 people, according to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his office.

“I am honored to be here in North Carolina to showcase the multilayered and strong ties between Japan and the United States,” Kishida said through a translator, inside the mansion ballroom, where about 60 people listened. The guest list included Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein, Republican state House Speaker Tim Moore and executives of several Japanese and American companies in the region.

He called North Carolina “a state at the forefront of the times” and flexed his knowledge about its landmarks, mentioning Kill Devil Hills, where the Wright Brothers had their first successful flight, as an example of the state’s ingenuity.

Until now, Kishida’s trip to the U.S. had been focused on global safety. He met President Joe Biden to discuss security concerns about China’s military, participated in the first trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines, and made the case in an address to a joint session of Congress for the U.S. to remain involved in global security.

But Kishida, who has been Japan’s prime minister since 2021, said before his trip that he chose to stop in North Carolina to show that the Japan-U.S. partnership extends beyond Washington, according to a translation posted on his website.

Kishida, Cooper and others traveled to the Greensboro area for Friday morning visits to a Honda Aircraft Co. production facility, as well as to the construction site for a Toyota Motor Corp. electric and hybrid battery plant that is expected to ultimately employ more than 5,000 people.

Hours before Kishida and his wife arrived Thursday night at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a subsidiary of another Japanese company, Fujifilm, announced an additional $1.2 billion investment in its upcoming biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant and another 680 jobs.

Chiaki Takagi, a Japanese studies lecturer at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, said this week that the prime minister’s visit surprised her but that it could signal a “positive future partnership” between Japan and the U.S. and more Japanese workers coming to the state.

“This whole thing will provide the area with opportunities to be engaged in very active cultural exchange between Japan and the U.S.,” Takagi said.

The luncheon marked the first time a foreign head of state has visited the governor’s mansion since record-keeping began in 1891, the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources said.

“What a better way to start than with one of our closest allies and friends from the country of Japan, with whom we share so many common interests,” Cooper said at the luncheon. “So today we make history, welcoming our wonderful friends.”

Cooper has a history of visiting Japan, making two trips to Tokyo in 2017 and 2023 during his time as governor. When it was announced Kishida was coming to the U.S., Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, said during the luncheon Cooper was the first to call to ask for the prime minister to visit his state.

Guests dined on a three-course meal prepared by James Beard award-winning Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen, which included wagyu beef tenderloin and Carolina Gold Rice pudding. Meanwhile, additional members of the Japanese delegation and the governor’s staff listened to live bluegrass music as they ate barbeque.

Kishida, Cooper and others went to North Carolina State University in Raleigh later Friday, where they met students ranging from those in middle school to adults studying Japanese. They visited the university’s Japan Center, which was established by former Gov. Jim Hunt and others in 1980 following a state trade mission to Tokyo. North Carolina State also has long, formal ties with Japan’s Nagoya University.

Earlier Friday, Kishida’s wife, Yuko, and North Carolina first lady Kristin Cooper shared a traditional Japanese tea at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham.

Associated Press writer Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report.

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Cameron, on U.S. Trip, Takes a Risk and Meets With Trump

David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, said he spoke with Donald Trump, the former, and possibly future, president, about Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

When Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, went to Washington on Tuesday, he made all the usual stops, from the State Department to Capitol Hill. But it was his pilgrimage to Palm Beach, Fla., where he met former President Donald J. Trump for dinner on Monday evening at Mar-a-Lago, that grabbed most of the attention.

Mr. Cameron is the first top British government official to meet with Mr. Trump since he left the White House. His visit — ostensibly to cajole Mr. Trump into backing additional American military aid to Ukraine — attests to Mr. Trump’s influence over a far-right faction of House Republicans who have been holding up a vote.

It also underscores how the electoral calendar is affecting political dynamics on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Cameron, a onetime prime minister, has emerged as almost a shadow British leader abroad, standing in for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is busy with a looming general election at home.

In traveling to meet Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mr. Cameron was reaching out to a once, and potentially future, American president — one whose jaundiced views on Ukraine are seen as the biggest hurdle to the continuation of much-needed American aid for the Ukrainian military.

“We had a good meeting,” Mr. Cameron said of Mr. Trump, while standing alongside Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken after their own session at the State Department on Tuesday. “It was a private meeting.”

Mr. Cameron said he and Mr. Trump discussed Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and other geopolitical issues, but he declined to say whether he had made any headway on convincing Mr. Trump to provide additional aid to Ukraine. He said he delivered the same message he gives to other American leaders: “The best thing we can do this year is to keep the Ukrainians in this fight.”

Mr. Trump has not commented on the dinner, which included Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Karen Pierce. His campaign issued a statement saying they discussed “the need for NATO countries to meet their defense spending requirements and ending the killing in Ukraine.” They also shared their “mutual admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II.”

So far, Mr. Cameron’s lobbying campaign in Washington has been met with decidedly mixed results. While he said he looked forward to meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday, he was not scheduled to meet with Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who is the pivotal figure in scheduling a House vote on military aid to Ukraine.

The two men last met in December, when Mr. Cameron also saw Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia Republican who stridently opposes further aid. Two months later, she lashed out at Mr. Cameron, saying he had accused Republicans of appeasing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

“David Cameron needs to worry about his own country,” Ms. Taylor Greene said, adding an epithet.

At his news conference with Mr. Blinken, Mr. Cameron acknowledged that he viewed his visits to Capitol Hill with “great trepidation,” noting that, “It’s not for foreign politicians to tell legislators in another country what to do.”

Mr. Cameron played down the Mar-a-Lago meeting, saying it was routine for senior British and American officials to meet opposition candidates. As prime minister, he noted, he met with the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, when he came to London on a fund-raising trip. Mr. Blinken met the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, at a security conference in Munich.

Still, there is little routine about meeting a former president at the Palm Beach estate that served as his winter White House and is still his political bastion. Mr. Trump used Mar-a-Lago for summit meetings with foreign leaders like President Xi Jinping of China . More recently, he welcomed a like-minded leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary .

Among Republicans, a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago has at times been an exercise in political validation. Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, went there three weeks after the attack on the Capitol in January 2021, in a fruitless bid to win Mr. Trump’s favor. Allies like Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, and Kari Lake, the Arizona TV anchor-turned-politician, are regular visitors.

Diplomats in Britain said Mr. Cameron’s visit was a risk, but characteristic of how he has approached his job from the start. On issues from Ukraine to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, he has pushed the envelope in his public statements. With Britain’s Conservative government lagging Labour by double digits in the polls and facing voters in the fall, some said Mr. Cameron had little to lose.

“Flattering Trump about his importance and significance on this issue is an astute move on Cameron’s part,” said Simon Fraser, a former head of Britain’s Foreign Office. “Let’s see whether it delivers.”

Mr. Fraser predicted that Mr. Cameron’s visit would get a mixed reception in Britain: applauded by those who view it primarily through a foreign-policy lens; criticized by those, he said, “who can’t stand Trump.” But he said Mr. Cameron’s entree to Mr. Trump spoke to his network of global contacts, a legacy of his time as prime minister.

“He’s bringing more reach and energy and impact to British foreign policy,” Mr. Fraser said.

Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the U.S. and Americas program at Chatham House, the British research institution, said, “It may not feel tasteful, but it’s shrewd, pragmatic politics of the kind Britain especially has historically been so good at, and probably of the kind that will work best with Trump.”

“There is a lot at stake in U.S. defense of Ukraine and Europe’s security,” she added, “and frankly, I think the effort to influence the U.S. may be wiser and more effective than the aspiration to Trump-proof Europe.”

Mr. Cameron has had a bumpy history with Mr. Trump. In 2016, as prime minister, he condemned Mr. Trump’s campaign proposal to place a temporary ban on allowing Muslims to enter the United States.

Asked in Parliament whether Mr. Trump should be banned from Britain, Mr. Cameron demurred but said, “His remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong, and I think if he came to visit our country, I think he’d unite us all against him.”

Even Mr. Cameron’s welcoming of Mr. Romney in 2012 had its awkward moments. Mr. Romney, who had organized the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, questioned whether London was ready to play host to the summer games, citing reports about security concerns.

“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” Mr. Cameron shot back. “Of course, it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article misstated the year of the Winter Olympic Games that Mitt Romney had organized in Salt Lake City. It was the 2002 Games, not 1988.

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Mark Landler is the London bureau chief of The Times, covering the United Kingdom, as well as American foreign policy in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has been a journalist for more than three decades. More about Mark Landler