Donald Trump Jumps At Chance To Cancel Summit, Beating Kim Jong-un To Punch
President Donald Trump this morning jumped at the chance to pull out of next month’s summit with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un, not by tweet but actual old-school letter [read in its entirety below].
Announcing that the date was off, Trump cited “open hostility” in recent North Korea statements.
“Please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit for the good of both parties, to the detriment of the world, will not take place,” Trump wrote in the diplomatic Dear John letter, as described by CNN’s Jim Sciutto.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” Trump crowed.
Hours earlier, North Korea had issued a statement threatening to pull out of the summit.
Overnight, North Korea had issued a statement saying, “Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at a nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States.”
Walking up to Trump’s pull-out, NoKo also had called Veep Mike Pence a “politically dummy” which reportedly enraged POTUS.
No word yet from Trump on Twitter. In his letter, however, POTUS wrote:
“Mr. Chairman we greatly appreciate your time, patience and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties which was scheduled to take place in Singapore.”
“We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that, to us, was totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you.”
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it’s inappropriate at this time to have this long-planned meeting.”
In the letter, Trump told the North Korean ruler he had “felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day I look very much forward to meeting you.”
“In the meantime I want to thank you for the release of the hostages, who area now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and very much appreciated.”
“If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”
Trump reportedly was hot under the collar after learning North Korea had called Pence a “political dummy” over “unbridled and impudent” remarks Veep made Monday on Fox News Channel. Pence had been discussing National Security Adviser John Bolton’s crack that the U.S. looks to the negotiations with Libya during the early 2000s as its model for handling North Korea.
“There was some talk about the Libya model,” Pence told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “As the President made clear, this will only end like the Libya model ended if Kim Jong-un doesn’t make a deal.”
The Libya model had not ended well for Muammar Gaddafi who, a few years after giving up nukes, was dragged through the streets, filleted with a bayonet and murdered by rebels. When MacCallum suggested some might see Bolton’s comments a a threat, Pence fired back, “it’s more of a fact.”
Trump’s letter to Kim:
The full letter from the President Trump to Chairman Kim Jong Un : https://t.co/RJD9qV0HSl pic.twitter.com/b0BEf0mKWf
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 24, 2018
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