President Donald Trump is hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House as he escalates pressure on the Arab nation to take in refugees from Gaza — perhaps permanently — as part of his audacious plan to remake the Middle East.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, the first Middle Eastern leader to meet with President Donald Trump since he announced his intention to take over the Gaza Strip, deflected questions about the plan to displace Palestinians as he tried to avoid a public face-to-face confrontation with Trump.