some post-photo op analysis If they had just done the handshake, posed for a few pictures and left this would have been nothing but a photo op, though still making some history in terms of “firsts.” But Trump and Kim disappeared into a private room with their translators for nearly an hour. They didn’t emerge with any major announcements beyond the usual comments about “historic meetings” and “great friendships,” but I’ll confess that I’m growing concerned over the direction this seems to be taking. Up until now, Trump has held to a hard and fast line, even while showering praise on Kim Jong-un and affording him far more credibility and respect on the international stage than the madman likely merits. The President has insisted that there needs to be verifiable progress on denuclearization before any sanctions relief or other goodies will be coming Kim’s way. Yes, it rankles many of us to see one of the more murderous tyrants on the planet being feted in this fashion, but the situation simply is what it is. As long as we’re not giving away the store, getting Kim to disarm would be worth a few undeserved praises. But the clock is ticking, and President Trump is no doubt keenly aware that it’s still possible he might be a one-term president. If he’s going to make this happen, the process will need to start soon. He also prides himself on being a big deal maker. (It’s basically his signature claim to fame.) I’m starting to wonder if the President isn’t getting ready to toss in some sweeteners to prod Kim into action. If so, Kim’s family has demonstrated repeatedly that they’re willing to talk the talk until they actually get some relief and then find an excuse to turn around and bail out on the agreement. If that happens this time it will be a massive embarrassment to Donald Trump, basically resetting the game board back to when Kim was firing off missiles and detonating nukes. Kim Jong-un has yet to do anything to prove that he merits the sort of trust he’s asking for, and I sincerely hope that President Tump keeps holding his feet to the fire and demands IAEA inspections and verifiable proof of progress on denuclearization before beginning any sanctions relief or other normalization of North Korea as a legitimate actor in the international community. https://hotair.com/archives/2019/06/30/trump-enters-north-korea-effect/
Good take. Very interested to see where this goes. Feeling I get is that Trump is trying to get his ducks in a row internationally for the upcoming election. Maybe getting Kim to calm down or “help.” Scary times when you think about it.
This isn't a big deal. It's just a photo op. A photo op isn't anything historic. Where this could be lead to something is Trump, as NK wanted, start negotiating directly with Kim without anyone else in the way. Did Kim sweeten up Trump enough to get Trump on-board? A positive I see is Trump moved from his insistence of a fully denuke NK (unrealistic) to something more realistic. The negative is Trump is doing the negotiation himself. God help us.
I don’t think it’s even a feeling at this point. It’s simply what he’s doing. He did it with Russia out in the open just a couple weeks ago. He knows about NK and their hacking ability. We all saw what they did to Sony with the Seth Rogan movie bit. Trump isn’t stupid when it comes to cheating and he’s super transparent about it.
This is one of the few things that I don't disagree with Trump doing. We should have relationships with leaders of other countries especially when we know they aren't going anywhere for a long time. Less chance of war. Now if he would just stop pissing off our traditional allies.
One small step for the 45th president; one giant boost for his television ratings after the high TV ratings for the first 2 Dem presidential debates, Trump flashes another shiny object to move the spotlight back on him Another carefully cultivated elaborately staged moments that, strung together, reveal a president eager to play the roles of producer and director, calling the camera shots, hyping the drama, and building public expectations for a big reveal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...1b9b36b64ad_story.html?utm_term=.a7b34c495d92
at least trump is not a cold war crook unlike most of the politicians and posters here. it is a big step out of the ice castle built for nothing.
It's all China's doing. Talks regarding a trade deal resume and all of sudden North Korea wants to play nice.
