So today on Trump House, the meeting with North Korea was completed, and really was much ado about not much. A letter was signed, not a peace treaty. Heck, a peace treaty wasn't even announced.
It did seem odd, but on reflection, very Trump. He got to have a party, most eyes were on him, and while the meeting elevates Kim Jong Un as well, there was not much change in the status quo. From what I can tell, there was some de-escalation on the United States' side, which may have been a return gesture for the recent declaration of no more missile testing by North Korea, and is hopefully a move that was cleared with South Korea, who also seems to have been seeking to improve relations with North Korea.
But the declaration that did come out from the meeting was basically a bit of fluff, with no real agreement regarding sanctions, or steps towards verifying de-nuclearization. If this statement had been signed without a meeting having occurred, it would have been seen as a minor step towards a meaningful resolution. There is a lot more work to be done for this to be meaningful, and who knows, maybe this is a productive way to deal with this particular dictator.
Giving Kim Jong Un some prestige and kind words may not be a bad thing if it leads to real improvements, but this was not a meeting to finalize some major success, or even start some real work. This was a photo op that got to draw attention to itself, while apparently seeking to distract from the deterioration in relations with the G7.
Survivor White House watch.
Giuliani still there as Lawyer
John F. Kelly still there as Chief of Staff
Jeff Sessions still there as Attorney General
Sarah Huckabee Sanders still there as Press Secretary
Mike Pompeo - Secretary of State
John Bolton - National Security Advisor
John Bolton - National Security Advisor
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