Trump agrees to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, South Korea says

[GMDino]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/08/trump-major-announcement-coming-north-korea/408781002/

Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May for high-level talks toward a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, a South Korean official said outside the White House Thursday.


The extraordinary and unexpected opening came through shuttle diplomacy by a South Korean delegation arriving in Washington Thursday. Trump heralded the development as a "major announcement" after speaking with the South Korean president.

"I told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he's committed to denuclearization. He pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong told reporters after meeting with Trump at the White House.

Significantly, there was no insistence that the United States and South Korea suspend joint military exercises.

Chung met with Kim earlier this week, and came to Washington Thursday to relay the message from the North Korean leader.

"I explained to President Trump that his leadership, and his maximum pressure policy, along with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture," he said.

The Trump administration has rallied the United Nations to impose ever-tightening sanctions against North Korea following a battery of missile tests.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump would accept the invitation to meet Kim "at a place and time to be determined." But she added: "In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.” 

Trump claimed a diplomatic victory Thursday, telling ABC News, "Hopefully, you will give me credit."

Hours earlier, Trump hinted at the news in an unexpected — and unprecedented — visit to the White House briefing room, calling it a "major announcement" about a "big subject."

Experts greeted the news with a mix of optimism and skepticism.

"You know what, it’s a Hail Mary, but why not? Crazier things have happened in world history," said Harry Kazianis of the Director of Defense Studies, a think tank founded by President Richard Nixon. "Give peace a chance."

But Kazianis cautioned that Trump has to be careful not to give Kim any concessions. "You cant give Kim Jong Un the photo op he wants to legitimize him," he said. "You cannot legitimize a county that has more than 100,000 people in what are essentially Nazi-style gulag camps."

And Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies cautioned that North Korea has yet to prove it's serious about abandoning its nuclear ambitions. 

"The challenge is that the North Korea regime is a global champion, along with the Iranian regime, in playing us as fools," he said.

The surprise development follows several weeks of thawing relations between North and South Korea, prompted by the North's participation in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang under a unified banner. 

South Korean President Moon Jae-In sent Chung to North Korea this week as part of the highest-level talks in a decade. 

Those talks were seen as a first step toward normalization of relations between the two countries, which have been divided since the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean war.

At a Tuesday press conference, Trump appeared to warm to the idea of talks with North Korea, which he had previously dismissed as "a waste of time."

"I think that they are sincere," he said of North Korea's desire for talks. "I hope they're sincere. We're going to soon find out."

[*bfine32*]

If Trump's legacy was nothing more than reuniting the Korean peninsula then it was be a Presidency well spent.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:27 PM)bfine32 Wrote: If Trump's legacy was nothing more than reuniting the Korean peninsula then it was be a Presidency well spent.

We shall see.

Although given the rest of the hot mess that has been his presidency the Mueller investigation may be his legacy no matter what.  

And we may not know the outcome of EITHER for quite a while.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-08-2018, 10:27 PM)bfine32 Wrote: If Trump's legacy was nothing more than reuniting the Korean peninsula then it was be a Presidency well spent.

Dear lord he would go down as one of most productive on the tough stuff.

Also if he did get it done or even got closer. I imagine it will have been with help in the background with the Russians. Which would explain his slow play of the new sanctions.

[*Nately120*]

(03-08-2018, 10:37 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Dear lord he would go down as one of most productive on the tough stuff.

He could be the next Nixon...a real sleazebag who was bafflingly productive on the foreign policy front and then forced to resign in disgrace!  I'd take that, actually.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-08-2018, 10:35 PM)GMDino Wrote: We shall see.

Although given the rest of the hot mess that has been his presidency the Mueller investigation may be his legacy no matter what.  

And we may not know the outcome of EITHER for quite a while.

Honestly I can’t see mueller coming up with anything substantial. Democrats just want him working indefinelty to take away from his presidency but I imagine this will end soon once a special counsel is had for the Obama admin FISA abuse. When that happens dems will be calling to end all special counsels.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:40 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Honestly I can’t see mueller coming up with anything substantial.   Democrats just want him working indefinelty to take away from his presidency but I imagine this will end soon once a special counsel is had for the Obama admin FISA abuse.     When that happens dems will be calling to end all special counsels.

Oh I believe you "honestly can't see" it. 

Hard to see with your blinders on and eyes shut.



I mean you're blaming the Democrats when the Republicans named a Republican to investigate him, you partisan hack.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-08-2018, 10:38 PM)Nately120 Wrote: He could be the next Nixon...a real sleazebag who was bafflingly productive on the foreign policy front and then forced to resign in disgrace!  I'd take that, actually.

Aren’t you at least happy that we don’t just have another uniparty president?

As a third party guy I would think you would at least enjoy the fact that the establishment of both parties hate him.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:38 PM)Nately120 Wrote: He could be the next Nixon...a real sleazebag who was bafflingly productive on the foreign policy front and then forced to resign in disgrace!  I'd take that, actually.

Again, we'll see.  Remember that Trump is easily swayed with compliments.  If *he* actually does the negotiations I want a camera in the room!  

[*michaelsean*]

(03-08-2018, 10:27 PM)bfine32 Wrote: If Trump's legacy was nothing more than reuniting the Korean peninsula then it was be a Presidency well spent.

By reuniting you don’t mean one country do you? No way that little psychopath gives up his power.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:42 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Aren’t you at least happy that we don’t just have another uniparty president?  

As a third party guy I would think you would at least enjoy the fact that the establishment of both parties hate him.

They "hate" him because he's a liar, a cheat and mentally unstable.

But hey..."uniparty".

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:43 PM)michaelsean Wrote: By reuniting you don’t mean one country do you?  No way that little psychopath gives up his power.

Yep.  And he'll want US bases gone and there's no way that will happen.

But this glimmer of hope is take some of the pressure off the "whose button is bigger" for a little while.

[*Nately120*]

(03-08-2018, 10:42 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Aren’t you at least happy that we don’t just have another uniparty president?  

As a third party guy I would think you would at least enjoy the fact that the establishment of both parties hate him.

I want fiscal conservatism and social freedom.  So no, Trump certainly doesn't tickle me.  I will say that people being upset interests and entertains me though, but that's also why I was obsessively checking this message board when Marvin got that extension...not sure if that's the sort of thing normal people do.

[*michaelsean*]

(03-08-2018, 10:38 PM)Nately120 Wrote: He could be the next Nixon...a real sleazebag who was bafflingly productive on the foreign policy front and then forced to resign in disgrace!  I'd take that, actually.

It’s not really baffling. What led to his resignation really didn’t have anything to do with his abilities as a President. His could have gone down as one of the more impressive administrations if not for his extreme paranoia. I think he was most assuredly psychotic.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-08-2018, 10:47 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I want fiscal conservatism and social freedom.  So no, Trump certainly doesn't tickle me.  I will say that people being upset interests and entertains me though, but that's also why I was obsessively checking this message board when Marvin got that extension...not sure if that's the sort of thing normal people do.

I want the same for the most part. I do enjoy the fact the establishment hates him. But In the end the only issues I agree with him so far is cutting regulators, taxes, judges, and his desire to enforce immigration laws.

Personally I would like to see some CJ reforms but I doubt he gets into any of that stuff.

[*michaelsean*]

(03-08-2018, 10:45 PM)GMDino Wrote: Yep.  And he'll want US bases gone and there's no way that will happen.

But this glimmer of hope is take some of the pressure off the "whose button is bigger" for a little while.

I think someone can certainly make it better, but I don’t see reunification while he’s around. Don’t know who’s up next when he’s gone.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:51 PM)michaelsean Wrote: It’s not really baffling. What led to his resignation really didn’t have anything to do with his abilities as a President. His could have gone down as one of the more impressive administrations if not for his extreme paranoia.  I think he was most assuredly psychotic.

Are we still talking about Nixon or Trump?  

All seriousness aside Nixon was dirty whether his paranoia did him in or not.

Nixon also had a good idea about things on a global scale.  Something that Trump lacks.

[GMDino]

(03-08-2018, 10:53 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I think someone can certainly make it better, but I don’t see reunification while he’s around. Don’t know who’s up next when he’s gone.

I'm assuming another nut job hand picked to be next in line probably.

Wait, we're not talking about Trump again, right? 

[*michaelsean*]

(03-08-2018, 10:54 PM)GMDino Wrote: Are we still talking about Nixon or Trump?  

All seriousness aside Nixon was dirty whether his paranoia did him in or not.

Nixon also had a good idea about things on a global scale.  Something that Trump lacks.

But dirty due to his paranoia, and his need to get back at those who he believed wronged him. I’m not excusing it, I’m just saying that’s different than not being capable of excelling in his duties. I think most presidents are psychotic at least in a narcissistic way. I mean they believe they are the beat person to run the most powerful country.

[*Nately120*]

(03-08-2018, 10:51 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I want the same for the most part.    I do enjoy the fact the establishment hates him.   But In the end the only issues I agree with him so far is cutting regulators, taxes, judges, and his desire to enforce immigration laws.  

Personally I would like to see some CJ reforms but I doubt he gets into any of that stuff.

We could really get off-track here, but I don't trust republicans to deregulate because past history has shown they deregulate and then bail out the companies who screw themselves over with their own greed.  Additionally, I find it abhorrently hypocritical to claim you love this country and respect the people who fought and died for it and then deregulate in manners which allow corporations to poison our actual land. I'm no environmentalist, I just find the neo con false patriotism to be an insultingly-thin facade.

Taxes?  Ehh, my party could (possibly) give us better tax breaks if we'd stop being a slave to government excesses that both popular political parties want.  Just because Trump promises the giant bills he racks up will be paid by "someone else" don't make it so.  Paying less taxes might actually mean doing without giant walls, endless wars, and a bunch of lefty stuff.

Judges?  I don't want right-wing judges getting all Biblical on things, but I haven't looked much into Trump's nominee honestly.

Enforcing immigration laws sound better when someone who hasn't hired illegals spearheads things.  Anyways, I don't care for Trump.