Finally, Trump sets off for first foreign trip... See where he will visit

U.S. President Donald Trump makes his first overseas trip, alongside his wife, Melania, on Friday afternoon when they took off in Air Force One from a military air base in Maryland.

Trump and Melania will be visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy.

However, considering his current political fortunes, if Trump's crucial first foreign trip passes off without a disaster, it will be considered a success.

Hours before taking off, Trump addressed the trip on Twitter, writing, “Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!

A giant billboard (See below) bearing portraits of President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, is seen on a main road in Riyadh, on May 19, 2017.

In fact, for some senior officials who have lost the President's confidence, the tour may be a final chance to save their jobs.

"It's kind of do-or-die," said one official, referring both to the staff and stakes for the President.

As a result, Trump heads into his trip, an ambitious first stride across the global stage, pursued by a political maelstrom at home and facing questions from foreign leaders about the viability of his government.

"One question everyone outside the United States has, and are not likely to ask the President, is what is his actual political strength relative to the divisions with Congress, the problems within his own party?" said Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Can he move forward with his own agenda? That will certainly be a question as he visits any country overseas."

Trump's reported griping about the length of his trip, and the fact that he has been severely distracted during his preparation time this week by the Russia storm, raises the stakes even more.

"I think he needs to keep his mind on what is going to be a very important trip," said former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, a Democrat, on CNN's "New Day" on Thursday. "He represents the United States, even if we are setting kind of a low bar for this trip -- if he doesn't make mistakes. I hope that there is not one single tweet about anything in the nine days he is gone."

But the most striking moment of Trump's visit to the kingdom will be his speech about Islam, given his critical campaign rhetoric and attempt to impose a temporary entry ban on residents of a number of Muslim nations soon after taking office.

"He will develop a strong, respectful message that the United States and the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stand against radical Islamist ideology, an ideology that uses a perverted interpretation of religion to justify crimes against all humanity," said National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

"He will call for Muslim leaders to promote a peaceful vision of Islam," he said.

The speech is a high-risk, high-reward opportunity, but is difficult to get right, said Jonathan Finer, who served as director of policy planning for former secretary of state John Kerry.

"This is a President who has surrounded himself with advisers who have let's just say not the most nuanced views of Islam," Finer told CNN International's Christiane Amanpour on Thursday.

"The notion that the President of the United States is going to go to one of the cultural and religious centers of the region and explain the proper role of Islam in the world in Saudi Arabia, I think really risks setting some off notes," he said.

Trump will arrive in Israel on Monday afternoon at 12:15 p.m. and will be received at the airport by an Israeli delegation. He will be in Israel for a day and will take off on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. for Europe.

The President is expected to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and will also make a trip to Bethlehem and meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

While there were speculations that Trump might bring Netanyahu and Abbas for a trilateral meeting during the visit, a PA official said this week that it might be "too early for us."