Trump Abruptly Cancels North Korea Trip, Ratchets Up the Pressure on Kim
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was all set to travel to North Korea on Friday for his fourth public meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un, but it would appear that the scheduled trip has been postponed for now by virtue of a tweet thread from President Donald Trump Friday afternoon.
According to Townhall, Pompeo has just named Steve Biegun, a top executive at Ford Motor Company, as a Special Representative of the United States to lead future negotiations with North Korea over the denuclearization process.
Just days ago, Pompeo had remarked on how the U.S. and North Korea were closely cooperating as discussions about denuclearization of the Korean peninsula continued.
However, citing a lack of “sufficient progress” on that front thus far, and in light of ongoing trade issues with China, Trump has called off the scheduled meeting for now in a three-tweet thread.
I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
Trump tweeted, “I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula…”
That tweet was followed by one that read, “…Additionally, because of our much tougher Trading stance with China, I do not believe they are helping with the process of denuclearization as they once were (despite the UN Sanctions which are in place)…”
…Additionally, because of our much tougher Trading stance with China, I do not believe they are helping with the process of denuclearization as they once were (despite the UN Sanctions which are in place)…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
Trump finished the short thread by tweeting, “…Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!”
…Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
Despite assumptions to the contrary from Democrats and the liberal media, there is little that President Trump does without some sort of reason, though those reasons may initially be obscured from the public view.
There had been plenty of talk in the preceding days leading up to this scheduled meeting between Pompeo and Kim, so it is obvious that the meeting was rather important. Thus, it is unlikely that it would have been cancelled on any sort of whim.
It is quite possible that information has come to the attention of the White House which revealed that North Korea is not holding up their end of the bargain, and therefore didn’t need to be rewarded with another high-level meeting that can be used for propaganda purposes.
It is also quite possible — indeed, likely, actually — that China has been acting duplicitously behind the scenes with regard to North Korea, saying one thing for public consumption while doing something entirely different with little notice.
Of course, everything could also be going just fine and this abrupt cancellation is some sort of misdirection ploy by Trump to distract and divert media attention in a different direction while something significant occurs with nobody watching or interfering … as has occurred before.
Regardless, barring any undisclosed or unforeseen complications in the burgeoning U.S.-North Korean relationship, the meeting between Pompeo and Kim will still take place at a later date and the discussion about denuclearization will proceed apace … just not today.
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