West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — As Republicans were casting about for explanations for their party’s dismal showing in off-year elections last week, President Donald Trump had several other pieces of business to attend to.

He hosted Central Asian leaders for dinner at the White House on Thursday. A day later, the 38th day of the government shutdown, Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister came for lunch. On Monday, Syria’s president will make an historic visit to the White House.

Among the topics the president spent time in public discussing last week: migration policies in Europe, commercial activity on the Caspian Sea, South Africa’s position in the G20, and the energy limitations presented by Hungary’s geography (“They don’t have the advantage of having sea,” he explained). He h

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