Trump’s Very Trumpian Letter to Kim Jong Un
The text reflected not only the president’s signature syntax, but also the clash between his desire for credit and his intuition to walk away.
Donald Trump’s approach to North Korea has always been an intensely personal one—the president contended that his sheer force of will and negotiating prowess would win the day, and rather than use intermediaries, he planned for a face-to-face meeting, with himself and Kim Jong Un on either side of a table.
So Trump’s notice on Thursday that he was canceling the June 12 summit in Singapore was fitting. It arrived that appears to have been written by the president himself. The missive features a Trumpian mix of non sequiturs, braggadocio, insults, flattery, and half-truths. Whether the dramatic letter marks the end of the current process or is simply a negotiating feint,
