page_title: Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency (2017 Q3)
section_title: Week 29
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency (2017 Q3) / Timeline / August 2017 / Week 29
caption_attribution_description: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson holds a trilateral meeting with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Tarō Kōno in Manila, Philippines on August 7, 2017. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
context_page_description: The following is a timeline of the presidency of Donald Trump during the third quarter of 2017. To navigate between quarters, see Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency.
context_section_description: Monday, August 7
  Secretary of State Tillerson meets with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss global terrorism, economic cooperation and the security situation in Marawi.
  Tuesday, August 8
  President Trump warns North Korea of "fire and fury" following threats to retaliate against new United Nations sanctions.
  Secretary of State Tillerson has discussions with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on regional security and trade in Bangkok.
  Secretary of State Tillerson meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur to discuss international relations and trade.
  President Trump holds a press briefing at Bedminster, New Jersey, calling for tougher enforcement to combat the opioid problem in the country.
  Wednesday, August 9
  President Trump draws attention on Twitter to the "power" of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
  President Trump speaks by telephone with Senator Mitch McConnell; he complains that McConnell is not protecting him from the Senate's Russia inquiry.
  Defense Secretary Mattis warns North Korea that an attack on the U.S. or its allies will prompt "the destruction of its people".
  Thursday, August 10
  President Trump talks to reporters about his "fire and fury" warning, stating that "if anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough."
  President Trump declares that the opioid crisis is a national emergency that will need a lot of attention and money to combat.
  President Trump states that he is "very thankful" that Vladimir Putin ordered removal of 755 diplomatic posts from Russia, reducing the U.S. payroll.
  Friday, August 11
  President Trump states on Twitter that America's military capabilities against North Korea are "locked and loaded".
  President Trump does not rule out the possibility of military action against President Nicolás Maduro in response to the ongoing Venezuelan political crisis.
  President Trump retracts his statement thanking Vladimir Putin on August 10 and states that his original comment was sarcastic.
  President Trump holds a workforce and apprenticeship discussion with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta on ways to help Americans access affordable education and training which, according to a White spokesperson, will equip them with relevant skills to help them secure good jobs.
  Saturday, August 12
  President Trump speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who requests restraint concerning tensions in the Korean peninsula.
  President Trump signs the Veterans Affairs Choice and Quality Employment Act, which will provide veterans private medical care using government funds for the next six months.
  President Trump condemns the violence from all sides at a far-right rally at Charlottesville, Virginia, and calls for law and order to be restored. He notably opted to omit any mention of the murdered counter-protester Heather Heyer in his address; he also chose to not single out or specifically condemn the alt-right protester James Alex Fields for that murder, and to not condemn the neo-Nazi movement. Trump faced bipartisan criticism for these omissions.
  Sunday, August 13
  Vice President Pence arrives in Colombia meeting with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to cover trade, business and investment opportunities in both countries.
  Speaking in a press conference in Cartagena, Vice President Pence condemns neo-Nazism and the Ku Klux Klan, and rejects allegations that President Trump had failed to censure white supremacists explicitly in his previous remarks, saying the media has overblown the issue.
  National Security Advisor McMaster denounces a fatal vehicular attack on counterprotestors in Charlottesville on August 12 as "terrorism".
caption: Secretary Tillerson, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, and Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno in Manila, Philippines
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