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It's an unfortunate reality that terrorism and politics are linked.
Fear and anger are powerful motivators, and for US President Donald Trump, who was decrying religious extremism on a tour of the world's holiest cities this week, Manchester provided a powerful backdrop for his words.
"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations," he told Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia.
"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."
It was designed, in part, as an attempt to reassure Muslims that the man who has proposed travel bans on people from several Muslim-majority nations is not a bigot.
It was also designed to align the US with Saudi Arabia against Iran.
It was a trip choreographed in extremis. And it was autocue all the way, apart from a couple of slips.
Here he tells a room full of Israelis that he's just back from the Middle East:
And he seems to accidentally confirm that Israel was the source of classified intelligence that he gave to the Russians.
As always of late, Mr Trump had the world's attention, and then Manchester happened — an event that proved the point of his trip in the most tragic way imaginable.
He said
"So many young, beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives, murdered by evil losers in life. I won't call them monsters because they would like that term. They would think that's a great name. I will call them from now on losers because that's what they are."
"Losers" is one of the President's signature terms, and it's also typical of the bluntness that he uses to connect with his base, which is, incidentally, a little shaky according to this analysis from Five Thirty Eight.
However, you can bet that they agree with much of what came out of his mouth during the Middle Eastern leg of his trip, as he laid down a challenge:
"It is a choice between two futures — and it is a choice America cannot make for you. A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out."
With a friend like these...
Then it was on to NATO and the G7, where the tone was a little different.
"Brussels, which he called a 'hellhole', and the European Union, which he called 'a vehicle for Germany', and NATO, which he called 'obsolete', are all nervously awaiting the arrival of President Trump on Wednesday, the way earthlings might await the impact of an asteroid," read the New York Times.
Ouch.
And Mr Trump didn't hold back, lecturing NATO leaders on the failure of most of them to contribute at least 2 per cent of their GDP to defence spending.
He's right. Only five countries met that NATO target last year — the US, the UK, Greece, Poland and Estonia.
"This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States," he said.
The NATO leaders stood stone faced as the barrage of criticism continued:
"We should recognise that with these chronic underpayments and growing threats, even 2 per cent of GDP is insufficient to close the gaps in modernising, readiness and the size of forces," he said.
"We have to make up for the many years lost. Two per cent is the bare minimum for confronting today's very real and very vicious threats."
During the trip, we saw more of Melania than we've seen in months, and much was made of the First Lady's apparent unwillingness to take her husband's hand.
Although, she wouldn't be the first — remember that Trudeau-Trump handshake? Avoiding the President's grip has become part of the pre-meeting briefing for many foreign leaders.
Here's the latest featuring new French President Emmanuel Macron.
Oh, and here's what's been described as a "shove" on the PM of Montenegro. You be the judge.
Holy sinkhole?
Mr Trump arrives back in the US on the weekend and as a notorious homebody, he'll no doubt be ready for a trip to his so-called Winter White House in Florida where a new feature has appeared in his absence.
Budget talk
The White House budget was released on Tuesday, with the President in absentia.
Planned Parenthood, foreign aid recipients and people on food stamps were the big losers, while funding for law enforcement, infrastructure, a new paid parental leave program, and a plan to balance the federal budget in a decade were some of the sweeteners.
In the US, the budget is widely considered to be a messaging document outlining priorities rather than firm commitments, and the initiatives would still need to pass Congress.
Russian investigation continues
Mr Trump may have escaped the swamp this week, but it didn't slow the investigations into his campaign's ties to Russia.
On the Hill, former CIA director John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats were quizzed on what insight they had into the Trump campaign's communication with Russian operatives.
Director Coats remained mum, resisting pressure from lawmakers to offer commentary, while former director Brennan criticised the President's apparent departure from protocol when he reportedly discussed intelligence information with high-level Russian officials.
And former Trump administration National Security Adviser Mike Flynn has elected to "plead the fifth" and refused a subpoena to appear before the Senate committee investigating the Russian links.
Seems a good time to review this Sean Spicer tweet from 2013:
Like we always say, the internet is grand.
Confederate statue taken down
The Louisiana city of New Orleans has removed four major statues memorialising Confederate figures from the Civil War.
Three of the statues were removed late at night, with workers wearing balaclavas to protect their identities after they received death threats for carrying out the work.
New Orleans city officials said the statues didn't "reflect the values of diversity and inclusion that make New Orleans strong today".
Here's a report from Walkleys Young Journo of the Year, Elly Bradfield, who has been giving us a hand in the DC bureau this week.
A hostile reception
And in Montana, a special election to fill a congressional seat has turned violent after the Republican candidate allegedly body-slammed a reporter questioning him about his views on the Trump healthcare bill.
Police have laid misdemeanour assault charges against candidate Greg Gianforte who allegedly grabbed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs by the throat and threw him to the ground.
A Fox News crew witnessed the incident and the Guardian have released audio of the scuffle:
Strange times we live in.
Underwood 2020?
And finally this week, Frank Underwood rode the metro in DC, inspiring House of Cards fans everywhere ahead of the launch of a new series.
I'm so sorry to have missed it, although as a journalist called Zoe who lives in DC, maybe it's better that I don't meet Frank on the Metro...
It's Memorial Day weekend! Until next week, when sacked FBI chief James Comey *may* testify on Russia.
Stay tuned.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, donald-trump, united-states
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