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Trump Shows Off 'The Beast' Following Historic Peace Summit

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Among the historic images and videos to emerge from President Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday was a clip featuring the presidential limousine.

The heavily fortified and extensively modified vehicle, known informally as “The Beast,” was the central attraction in a video featuring the two world leaders.

Kim appeared impressed with the interior of the massive limo when Trump gave a Secret Service agent the signal to open its doors.

According to Fox News, the quick clip was captured during this week’s summit on Singapore’s Sentosa Island.

Cameras showed Trump and Kim exit the site of the hours-long summit. That meeting resulted in both men signing a document pledging to take broad steps toward peace.

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“President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the preamble of the agreement states.

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In addition to discussing the weighty issues at hand during the summit, Trump and Kim ate lunch together following the one-on-one portion of the day’s diplomatic discussions, Time reported.

Along with diplomats and state officials from both nations, Trump and Kim dined on traditional Korean fare including a stuffed cucumber appetizer known as oiseon and a cod dish called Daegu jorim.

For dessert, the options included a Western favorite: vanilla Haagen-Dazs ice cream with cherry sauce.

After lunch, Trump and Kim stepped outside to view the limousine.

Kim’s limo also received some media attention when a video began to circulate showing a large group of bodyguards in suits running alongside the vehicle during a portion of his trip through Singapore.

While the North Korean leader might have been impressed with his car’s U.S. counterpart, a fully redesigned model promises to improve on current presidential limousines in a variety of ways.

The current fleet of vehicles is as much as 10 years old and due for an upgrade in the near future. Current models were introduced shortly after President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.

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Earlier this year, a camouflaged version of a vehicle believed to be the new presidential limousine led to media speculation about its likely options and features.

Though its features were obscured, auto experts seemed convinced it is built on the Cadillac CT6 frame. But aside from that frame, there is little else the car shares with a typical domestic luxury sedan.

It was produced through a $16 million contract with the Secret Service, though security concerns prevent specific reports of the new vehicle’s capabilities.

Common wisdom indicates it will be fitted with all of the current crop’s security features, except where they are improved or strengthened. The president currently rides in a vehicle with eight-inch-thick doors, five-inch-thick armor plating and protection against a range of attacks including chemical weaponry.

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Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of newsrooms.
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.
Birthplace
Virginia
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Texas Press Association, Best News Writing - 2012
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism - Averett University
Professional Memberships
Online News Association
Location
Arizona
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment




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