Trump and Kim Jong Un, apparently still friendly, blame their hawkish advisers for deteriorating ties
On Thursday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles in the morning and the U.S. seized a North Korean vessel for violating international sanctions later in the day, underscoring the increased bilateral tensions after President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's failed peace summit in February. "Nobody's happy about it," Trump told reporters Thursday. "They're talking about negotiating, but I don't think they're ready to negotiate."
But the relationship between Kim and Trump is still warm, The Washington Post reports:
Last month, Trump sent Kim a "happy birthday" letter commemorating the birth date of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and expressed interest in future engagements following the collapse of their meeting in February in Hanoi."He sends him pictures. He sends him letters. I don't know how President Trump can be more forthcoming in his efforts to have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un," National Security Adviser John Bolton told PBS NewsHour. In building a rapport, Trump and Kim have talked about basketball, pop culture and even video games, U.S. officials said, while slapping down hawkish advisers who disappoint them. [The Washington Post]
On May 4, right after Kim ended a 500-day pause in missile launches, Trump tweeted that Kim "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen." To salvage a deal, Trump and Kim have given dovishness a chance, the Post reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's main North Korea dove is Steve Biegun, a former Ford executive. In April, Kim demoted his hard-line denuclearization point man Kim Yong Chol and elevated Vice Premier Choe Son Hui, a diplomat with experience negotiating with the U.S., the Post reports. Kim also ordered Choe to criticize Trump's main hawks, and Trump joined in, gently, on Thursday: "John's very good," and "he has strong views on things, but that's okay. I actually temper John, which is pretty amazing isn't it?" Read more details at The Washington Post.
-
The environmental cost of GLP-1sThe explainer Producing the drugs is a dirty process
-
Greenland’s capital becomes ground zero for the country’s diplomatic straitsIN THE SPOTLIGHT A flurry of new consular activity in Nuuk shows how important Greenland has become to Europeans’ anxiety about American imperialism
-
‘This is something that happens all too often’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
-
Judge rejects California’s ICE mask ban, OKs ID lawSpeed Read Federal law enforcement agents can wear masks but must display clear identification
-
Lawmakers say Epstein files implicate 6 more menSpeed Read The Trump department apparently blacked out the names of several people who should have been identified
