By now you’ve heard the big news that President Donald Trump cancelled his upcoming summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and we’re starting to see some reaction from the Yanny–Laurel media.
It was either a big win for Trump where Kim got nada:
Beyond the very serious geopolitical stakes, this move is pure Trump. A theatrical withdrawal from a potential “deal," and reminder to Americans that he milked his adversary and gave them nothing in return. https://t.co/XH45Pod1sd
— Axios (@axios) May 24, 2018
Or it’s a giant embarrassment for Trump:
This letter reads like it was written by a high school sophomore to his girlfriend whom he fears is about to break up with him. https://t.co/U0bxmUmm2B
— Richard Stengel (@stengel) May 24, 2018
Or it’s somewhere in between:
Call me crazy, but this seems like negotiating tactic. Sort of like when you're buying a car & the dealer tries upping the price. You decline, say if dealer changes their mind to contact you, and then walk away and see what happens. Trump prob banking on NK coming back to table.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 24, 2018
Unpredictability is a central pillar of NK negotiation strategy—now we have turned the tables on them https://t.co/4QvrZqfV0q
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) May 24, 2018
Anyway, what’s funny about the timing, however, is that the president waited until Kim blew up his nuclear site before dropping the hammer on the meeting:
Recommended
You’ve got to think that Kim blowing up his nuclear test site and then immediately losing the summit can’t help his standing internally
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) May 24, 2018
Huge explosion at North Korea 'nuclear test site' https://t.co/AjPtEcql25
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 24, 2018
According to CNN’s Will Ripley who’s on the ground in North Korea for the dismantling of the test site, “it’s very awkward and uncomfortable” right now:
.@willripleyCNN is INSIDE North Korea reporting right now: "Being inside this country just hours after they blew up a nuclear site.. it's very awkward and uncomfortable moment right now."
— Catherine Valentine (@CNNValentine) May 24, 2018
And North Korean officials were “shocked” at the news and literally left the table after Ripley read them the letter:
CNN anchor Will Ripley, in NK, says NK officials around him are "shocked" by the news. #NorthKorea #NorthKoreaSummit
— Cortney O'Brien (@obrienc2) May 24, 2018
.@willripleyCNN on phone from north korea now. says he was the first person to read to the north korean officials he was with trump's letter. they had all just been together seeing a nuclear site dismantled.
he said they were in shocked, got up, left and are all on the phone.
— kelly cohen (@politiCOHEN_) May 24, 2018
Trump wins again?
Unpredictability is a central pillar of NK negotiation strategy—now we have turned the tables on them https://t.co/4QvrZqfV0q
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) May 24, 2018
Video of Ripley’s report here:
"Being inside this country just hours after they blew up their nuclear site…it was a very awkward and uncomfortable moment": CNN’s Will Ripley was in a room with North Korean officials when news came that Trump canceled a meeting with Kim Jong Un https://t.co/fCWlohkiOt pic.twitter.com/c5q5fQKN2R
— CNN International (@cnni) May 24, 2018
Stay tuned.
***