Another headline-grabbing nugget from the Trump-Kim summit: The White House made a fake movie trailer that President Trump showed Kim Jong Un at the start of the leaders' historic meeting in Singapore. The four-plus-minute video, which even features the overlay "Destiny Pictures presents" despite the fact that there is not any actual film coming out, envisions a world in which Trump and Kim have come together to create peace. Details on that and more:
- Watch the trailer: Gizmodo has the full transcript of the fake trailer, which features sweeping language like, "Two men, two leaders, one destiny. A story about a special moment in time, when a man is presented with one chance which may never be repeated. What will he choose? To show vision and leadership? Or not?" Watch the English version, Korean version, or even a version shot from the back of the press conference room where it was shown to reporters.
- Surprise for South: Trump's announcement that the US would stop conducting military drills with South Korea appears to have been a surprise to, well, South Korea, reports the AP. "At this current point, there is a need to discern the exact meaning and intent of President Trump's comments," is how Seoul's Defense Ministry put it. Yonhap News similarly reports that defense officials are awaiting "updated guidance" from the US.
- 2 views: For differing views on the summit's outcome, see the op-ed pages of the New York Times. In one essay, Nicholas Kristof argues that Trump was "hoodwinked" by Kim. The US made big concessions, including the cessation of military drills with the South, and got "astonishingly little" in return. In another essay, however, Victor Cha says Trump deserves much credit for bringing the world back from the brink of war. "Trump's diplomacy, however unconventional, has pierced the isolation bubble of the North Korean leadership, which no previous president could do."
- Wait, for now: At 38 North, well-regarded for its North Korean coverage, Robert L. Gallucci writes that he's disappointed at the lack of substance beyond all the pomp and happy talk. "Cynicism, or at least skepticism, would not be entirely inappropriate right now." Still, he's willing to wait to see if that substance eventually emerges.
- The statement: Read the full text of the statement signed by Trump and Kim via the Guardian.
- Winners, losers: Among the winners are Trump, Kim, Mike Pompeo, and, yes, Dennis Rodman, writes Callum Borchers at the Washington Post. Among the losers: Justin Trudeau, who became the victim of Trump's desire to project toughness ahead of the summit, and North Korean citizens, because human rights concerns were all but ignored. A separate analysis by Josh Rogin at the Post suggests the biggest winner of all is China. Everything played out as Xi Jinping wanted.
- Odd moments: The BBC rounds up some of the odd moments, including Trump's quip to photographers before he and Kim sat down for lunch. "Getting a good picture, everybody? So we look nice and handsome and thin?" Meanwhile, Chris Cillizza at CNN rounds up no fewer than 49 quotes that jumped out at him. One example from Trump: "I think, without the rhetoric, it wouldn't have happened," he said, referring to the previous bombast between the leaders.
Trump was not shy in complimenting Kim. Read his praise
here. (More
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