Brendan McDermid/Reuters
At Beijing’s request, President Trump reportedly sought to deport a wealthy Chinese businessman at the center of a spy saga—until top officials blocked the move. According to The Wall Street Journal, the situation surrounding Guo Wengui—an outspoken critic of the Chinese government who is seeking asylum in the U.S.—has left Trump’s administration struggling to come up with a unified response. Trump himself came close to deporting Guo after receiving a letter from Beijing that was hand-delivered by casino magnate Steve Wynn, who has business interests in China’s Macau, according to the report. The letter apparently appealed to Trump to deport Guo, who claims to have vital information on the Chinese government and North Korea. After being briefed by top officials on Beijing’s latest espionage efforts, Trump reportedly said he knew of one “Chinese criminal” who should immediately be deported. “Where’s the letter that Steve brought?” a source recalled Trump calling to his secretary. “We need to get this criminal out of the country,” Trump was cited saying in the report. Trump’s aides later blocked any attempt to deport Guo, fearing it would jeopardize leverage the U.S. might have over Beijing.