Trump, Abe: Keep pressure on Kim
North Korea is key topic as leaders end Mar-a-Lago summit.
PALM BEACH — Standing in a grand ballroom that bears his name at his Mar-a-Lago estate, President Donald Trump on Wednesday seemed mindful of the legacy-defining potential of his planned denuclearization talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his side after two days of meetings, Trump said his tough stance on Kim’s regime had helped create the potential for a “historic moment” that eluded previous presidents. But Trump also said he’s willing to
cancel the talks ahead of time or “respectfully leave the meeting” if he believes the summit will not be successful.
“We’ve never been in a position like this with that regime ... And I hope to have a very successful meeting,” Trump said of the talks with Kim.
“If I think that it’s a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we’re not going to go. If the meeting when I’m there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting and will continue what we’re doing,” Trump said.
Trump and Abe fielded questions from U.S. and Japanese journalists beginning about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday in the multi-chandeliered Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom at Mar-a-Lago.
In response to a question about special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of possible collusion with Russia by Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Trump dismissed collusion claims as “a
hoax ocrats” Clinton’s created to defeat. explain by the Hillary Dem
tion As he for might persistent fire Mueller specula- or Mueller’s immediate supervisor, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Trump said: “They’ve been saying I’m going to get rid of them for the last three months, four months, five months and they’re still here. So we want to get the investigation over with, done with, put it behind us and we have to get back to business with negotiating with this gentleman and plenty of others.”
North Korea was the most pressing topic as Trump and Abe met for the third time in 14 months. But Abe, through a translator, said at the news conference that he has agreed to “start talks for free, fair and reciprocal trade” with the U.S. In response to a reporter’s question, he said he realized Trump preferred a bilateral agreement, but he believes a Trans-Pacific Partnership type of deal would be more beneficial for the Asia-Pacific region and both would be discussed.
The leaders also discussed Japan’s desire for the release of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. And they got in 18 holes of golf Wednesday at nearby Trump International Golf Club just west of West Palm Beach.
Trump credited Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping with imposing sanctions on North Korea as part of a “max- imum pressure” campaign to get the Kim regime to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“We will not repeat the mistakes of previous admin- istrations. of continue denuclearizes,” maximum until Our pressure North Trump campaign Korea said. will “There is a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearization in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way. It will be a great day for them. It will be a great day for the world.” Abe also urged caution. “Just because North Korea is responding to dialogue, there should be no reward. Maximum pressure should be maintained,” he said through a translator. Wednesday began with tweetstorm from the president, who by 8:05 a.m. had confirmed a top-secret meet- ing between CIA Director Mike Pompeo and North Korea’s leader, seemingly contradicted his previously stated rationale for last year’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, made his first social media foray into the Stormy Daniels tinued nia illegal Trump’s before Mar-a-Lago The Gov. immigration. he his salvos controversy Jerry and Twitter feud at Abe appeared Brown 8:17 with departed account and a.m. Califor- over con- on to make Trump’s mit two Boulevard. leaders the golf 4½-mile hit club While the on trip links, Sum- the to first Akie lady Abe, Melania the prime Trump minis- and ter’s Museum wife, in toured Palm the Beach. Flagler
Trump and Abe also played golf when Abe visited Palm Beach in February 2017 and when Trump visited Japan in November. Golf was not on the official schedule for this week’s meeting, but Trump told reporters Tuesday that he and Abe planned “to sneak out” and play Wednesday if time allowed.
The White House rarely releases pictures of Trump on the golf course, but Trump posted a picture of himself and Abe at Trump International on Wednesday, saying the leaders were “building an even deeper and better relationship while playing a quick round of golf.” Trump used Twitter on Wednesday to confirm a Washington Post report that Pompeo made a secret trip to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with Kim. Trump tweeted that the meeting “went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are Denuclearization great also blast launched tour criticizes the tory, of tigation Trump “Slippery the worst being for to Comey, was thing phony promote North where, also a FBI Trump. not worked highly for James Director who used fired Russia Korea!” by World, a publicized book this Twitter out will the because Comey, inves- in week now. way, be that but his- to a there (except Trump with Comey gave The last the was tweet tweeted. firing May explanation by NO seemed in the COLLUSION that an Dem interview Trump at of odds s the )!” with that he fire had Comey interview, NBC’s already Lester before Trump decided Holt. Rosen- said In to stein so the for 2016 recommended Comey’s Hillary Clinton handling doing email of investigation. tion, “He but made regardless a recommenda- of recommendation fire Comey, knowing I was going there to was And no in fact, good when time I to decided do it. to I said, just you do it know, I said this to myself, Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won,” Trump said in May 2017.
Trump has denied porn star Daniels’ claims she had an affair with him in 2006, had the controversy avoided but until weighing Wednesday on social in on media. At 6:08 a.m. Wednesday, however, the president mocked Tuesday’s release by Daniels and her attorney of a composite sketch of a man she says threatened her in 2011 to keep silent about her alleged affair with Trump. “A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!” Trump tweeted. Less than 30 minutes later, Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti tweeted: “In my experience, there is nothing better in litigation than having a completely unhinged, undisciplined opponent who is prone to shooting himself in the foot. Always leads to BIGLY problems ... like new claims (i.e. defamation). LOL. #xmas #hanukkah #basta.” Trump, who arrived Monday for his 17th visit to Mar-a-Lago as president, is scheduled to fly to Key West today to visit a federal anti-drug trafficking agency, then return to Palm Beach through Sunday. Abe and his wife also are scheduled to leave Palm Beach today. First lady Melania Trump, meanwhile, will attend the funeral for former first lady Barbara Bush in Texas on Saturday.