page_title: Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency (2017 Q2)
section_title: Week 17
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency (2017 Q2) / Timeline / May 2017 / Week 17
caption_attribution_description: -Washington, D.C., 15, May 2017. The 36th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service held on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., honored law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Speakers included President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and guests on the dais included the Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Director the U.S. Marshals Service David Harlow. During the ceremony family of fallen officers placed carnations for the fallen forming a star and received a medal for the officer’s service. Photo by: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals
context_page_description: The following is a timeline of the presidency of Donald Trump during the second quarter of 2017. To navigate between quarters, see Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency.
context_section_description: Monday, May 15
  President Trump delivers a speech at the 36th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service at the Capitol Building, reiterating his support for the police service.
  President Trump hosts the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the White House.
  National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Tillerson issue denials to allegations that President Trump shared certain classified information with Lavrov and Kislyak on May 10, 2017.
  Three 9th Circuit judges hold a hearing in Seattle, Washington, for arguments relating to President Trump's currently barred travel ban.
  Tuesday, May 16
  President Trump holds a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House.
  President Trump issues a pair of tweets explaining that he has a right to share information with Russia for counter-terrorism reasons.
  National Security Advisor McMaster holds a White House press briefing at which he describes the President's conversation with Lavrov and Kislyak as "wholly appropriate".
  The White House issues a denial that President Trump asked Comey on February 14, 2017, to end the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn. House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz requests from the FBI all material on Comey's meetings with Trump.
  Wednesday, May 17
  President Trump delivers the commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, with a speech on the theme of persistence.
  Vice President Pence becomes the first sitting vice president to form a political action committee, filing paperwork to create the Great America Committee.
  Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein appoints Robert Mueller as a special prosecutor to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. According to reporting by The New York Times in January 2018, President Trump attempts to dismiss Mueller before the end of June, but retreats upon the threatened resignation of White House counsel Don McGahn.
  Thursday, May 18
  President Trump holds a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the White House.
  At the press conference, President Trump denies telling Comey to end the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn, denies any collusion between his campaign and Russia, and reiterates his claim that he is the subject of a "witch hunt".
  Vice President Pence denies that he knew prior to March 2017 that Flynn was under federal investigation.
  White House Director of Communications, Michael Dubke, resigns, agreeing to continue in his position at least until the end of President Trump's upcoming foreign visit.
  Following a private Senate briefing by Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, three Senators confirm that Rosenstein believed President Trump planned to dismiss Comey prior to Rosenstein's recommendation.
  Friday, May 19
  President Trump leaves Washington D.C. for Saudi Arabia on his first official foreign tour.
  The White House does not dispute reports that President Trump called former FBI Director Comey a "nut job" and said that firing him "relieved pressure" in a meeting with Russian officials. Press Secretary Spicer accuses Comey of "grandstanding" and impeding the relationship with Russia.
  Saturday, May 20
  President Trump is received in Riyadh by Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and is awarded Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honor, the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud.
  President Trump signs an arms deal worth more than $350 billion and various other investment agreements with Saudi Arabia.
  Sunday, May 21
  President Trump delivers a speech to more than fifty leaders of Muslim-majority nations at an Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Riyadh, condemning the alleged funding of terrorism by Iran.
  President Trump holds several bilateral meetings with the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
  Vice President Pence delivers the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame's g
caption: President Trump and Vice President Pence among others at the 36th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service
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