Europe Tried To Trust Trump. But That’s Becoming Impossible.
BRUSSELS—What the last few days of Trumpian summitry have established beyond a reasonable doubt is the U.S. president’s inclination to confuse photo-ops (including what look like family photos) with policy. The most recent example was the chaotic minuet at the DMZ with North Korea’s tyrant Kim Jong Un, which has rewarded Kim with the prestige of a presidential visit without demanding he first get rid of his nukes.
That was preceded at the Osaka G-20 by backslapping bonhomie with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, accused by U.S. intelligence of ordering a journalist’s butchering, and a few yucks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his meddling in U.S. elections and the need to get rid of reporters. Not really all that funny when you think more than 20 journalists have died violently since Putin’s been in power.
Kim, Putin, Mohammed bin Salman, Xi Jinping, and Donald J. Trump all smiled for the cameras like salesmen pushing timeshares and telling you to trust them.
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