He has recently returned from a failed summit in Hanoi with North Korea, adding to the growing challenges he faces. In addition to the disagreement with Kim Jong Un over sanctions and nuclear weapons, Trump is dealing with accusations from his former lawyer Michael Cohen, sensitive trade negotiations with China, a crisis in Venezuela, tensions between India and Pakistan, and attempts in Congress to block his emergency declaration for border wall funding. U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election is also nearing its conclusion, keeping speculation about Trump and his campaign in the news. Before leaving for Vietnam, Trump expressed frustration about the Democrats proceeding with Cohen's testimony while he was overseas. He also expressed a desire for the Mueller report to be completed. A source who was present but preferred to remain anonymous reported that he was displeased that hearings were being held while he was out of the country and that the Mueller investigation had not been finished before his departure. Trump, feeling as though there was a cloud hanging over him, cut short discussions on North Korea's denuclearization at the summit. Conflicting reports emerged from both sides, casting doubt on the future of one of Trump's key initiatives. The White House had initially planned a signing ceremony for a deal in Hanoi but suddenly called it off. Donald Trump's Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, criticized reporters for being too focused on what he referred to as "process" and accused them of being "radically uninformed." Pompeo advised the reporters not to fixate on such details. Meanwhile, Trump stayed updated on Michael Cohen's testimony from his hotel suite in Hanoi, despite the time difference. Trump's inner circle believed that the president had a decent week, as there were no major surprises from Cohen's testimony and Trump was receiving praise for walking away from negotiations with North Korea. Christopher Ruddy, a conservative media mogul and close friend of Trump, stated that they were prepared for the challenges posed by North Korea and Cohen's negative remarks. Ruddy told Reuters that, in his opinion, the Cohen testimony doesn't significantly impact President Trump's political standing. However, some of Trump's allies have begun to question the effectiveness of his re-election campaign in responding to criticism. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a friend of Trump, expressed concerns about the lack of defense for the president. Trump is expected to receive support when he speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland this Saturday. At a CPAC event on Thursday, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel defended Trump's handling of the Vietnam summit. "He left in a just manner because he stated that we will not lift the sanctions unless you agree to denuclearize," she expressed, receiving applause.