NUZZLE & MUZZLE
Don makes nice with Kim, but stomps on 4 U.S. media outlets
President Trump’s political problems followed him across the globe on Wednesday, as did his rough relationship with the media.
Trump aides barred four American journalists from portions of the President’s Vietnam summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after a reporter shouted a question about congressional testimony from Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the reporters were excluded because of “sensitivities over shouted questions” in the previous press gaggles.
“Due to the sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for the dinner to a smaller group,” Sanders said in a statement. “We are continuing to negotiate aspects of this historic summit and will always work to make sure the U.S. media has as much access as possible.”
Sanders did not say if the exclusion came at the behest of Trump or Kim.
Missing from the start of a dinner between Trump, Kim, and their top aides. were print reporters from The Associated Press, Reuters, the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg.
A Wall Street Journal reporter was allowed in after media members protested the move.
Other reporters noted the irony of restricting media access in the presence of a dictator. whose country does not have a free press.
Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said in a statement that the group “strenuously objects to the capricious decision to exclude some journalists from a press encounter with President Trump and Chairman Kim.”
“This summit provides an opportunity for the American
presidency to display its strength by facing rigorous questioning from a free and independent news media, not telegraph weakness by retreating arbitrary last-minute restrictions on coverage,” he said.
A day earlier, the U.S. press corps was kicked out of its filing center in Hanoi at the request of the North Korean entourage.
Trump and Kim both said they were optimistic about their talks on Wednesday, which were aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
But the U.S. had already dropped its demand for a full accounting of North Korea’s nuclear program ahead of talks, according to reports. The country’s refusal to disclose all of its nuclear materials was the issue over which talks fell apart a decade ago. Yet Trump still sounded upbeat.
“A lot of things are going to be solved, I hope,” Trump said as dinner began. “I think it will lead to a wonderful, really a wonderful situation longterm.”
Kim said his country had long been “misunderstood” and viewed with “distrust.”
The two leaders were joined for dinner by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim Yong Chol, a former military spy chief and Kim’s point man in negotiations, and North Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Ri Yong Ho.
The turmoil for Trump in D.C. has raised worries among some that he will be too eager for a deal with Kim — and give away more than he gets in return.
The two leaders began a second day of talks Thursday, with Trump emphasizing he wants to make sure the oneon-one runs smoothly.
“Speed is not important,” Trump said to reporters. “What’s important is that we do the right deal.”
The two leaders spoke amicably via translators about the longstanding issue of restraining Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.
“The relationship is just very strong. … A lot of great ideas were being thrown about,” Trump said vaguely of he and Kim.
Asked if this summit would yield a political declaration to end the Korean War on Wednesday, Trump told reporters: “We’ll see.”
Trump’s schedule for Thursday also promised a “joint agreement signing ceremony” after their meetings conclude.