" it's astonishing that Trump's aides considered his recent trip a success."
What would you expect them to say?  That their mentally imbalanced boss became the laughingstock of the world with his curtsy to the Saudi monarch and the fondling of the glowing orb and especially the sword dance?  Or the embarrassment and shame he brought on to America in Europe?
Nah.  This is all about impressing the rubes back home.