North Korea
August 3, 2023 — Scott Johnson
Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a columnist for the Washington Times. He is a veteran reporter, foreign correspondent, and editor for the New York Times and other publications. Cliff’s most recent column is “Anniversay of a forever war” (at FDD, where it is posted with links). Cliff has kindly given us his permission to post his column on Power
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September 30, 2022 — Scott Johnson
The point of this series — and I do have one — is to invite the kind of derision of Democrats that the Democrat/media establishment routinely inflicts on their political opponents (though without the justification). Raygun! Bushitler! It’s almost enough to make a sane person doubt the Trump-Hitler hysteria as just a little over the top. By contrast, Joe Biden visibly deteriorates before our eyes. Kamala Harris is a bona
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May 2, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
This Washington Post article is a puff piece about Joe Biden’s North Korea strategy. The byline goes to John Hudson and Ellen Nakashima, but the credit probably belongs to the members of Team Biden who fed them the drivel. According to the Post, Biden has found a middle way between President Obama’s “arm’s length” approach to the crisis of North Korean nukes (i.e., his neglect of the matter) and President
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December 4, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
Victor Davis Hanson surveys President Trump’s foreign policy, focusing on China, Iran, and North Korea. Hanson argues that Trump’s recalibration of our policy towards these three nations has succeeded in placing maximum pressure on each to alter its policies. He warns, however, that as the pressure mounts, so does the prospect of dangerous provocations. Trump’s policies towards China, Iran, and North Korea are improvements over President Obama’s. As Hanson observes,
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September 12, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
President Trump must be frustrated. That, at least, is the most innocent explanation I can think of for the way he behaves. Trump has plenty to be frustrated about. By now, if one believed candidate Trump, our border with Mexico should be secure, thanks to a big beautiful wall paid for by Mexico. It isn’t. By now, the trade war with China should be won. After all, Trump assured us
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July 2, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
It’s amusing to observe how some on both sides of the political divide are talking about President Trump’s North Korea diplomacy. Some anti-Trumpers castigate the president for “making nice” with a despicable dictator like Kim Jong Un, when there is no realistic hope of a deal that leads to North Korea’s denuclearization. Some Trump supporters applaud Trump’s outreach to the dictator as an “art of the deal” moment that may,
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June 30, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
Stephanie Grisham is the new White House press secretary, having just replaced Sarah Sanders. Grisham has been Melania Trump’s spokesperson (and still is, I think). From what I have heard, she is decent, hard working, and tough. Today in North Korea, Grisham took on North Korean security personnel in order to enable members of the U.S. media to gain access to an area where President Trump was meeting with Kim
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March 3, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
President Trump returned from the Hanoi summit essentially empty-handed, but so did Kim Jong Un. It’s no surprise that Trump couldn’t persuade Kim to denuclearize. The prospect Trump held out to him — a booming economy like Vietnam’s — isn’t all that enticing. Kim has at least as much power, and almost certainly more, over North Koreans than the leadership in Hanio has over Vietnamese. Since his overriding goal is
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February 28, 2019 — Scott Johnson
President Trump’s summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un — this one in Hanoi — has concluded with no agreement. I have embedded Trump’s 37-minute press conference with Secretary Pompeo in its entirety below (thank you, MSNBC). It is worth a close look. Kim wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety in exchange for too much of nothing (the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear complex). It had always worked for Kim
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February 27, 2019 — Paul Mirengoff
The Washington Post tells us that experts at Stanford University chart the degree of risk of war with North Korea, as they perceive it, on a color-coded chart. Bright red indicates high risk. When Barack Obama left office, eight out of 11 boxes were bright red. When President Trump started calling North Korea’s dictator “Little Rocket Man,” the number of such boxes increased to nine. Now, with the diplomatic relations
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July 30, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
According to the Washington Post, U.S. spy agencies are seeing signs that North Korea is constructing new missiles at a factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. The Post cites “officials familiar with the intelligence.” It also provides a commercial satellite image, taken on July 7, showing the factory in question. The photo includes a vehicle the Post says is similar to
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July 22, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
I doubt that any sensible, objective observer expected North Korea to denuclearize in response to President Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong Un. However, there was some reason to hope for a modicum of cooperation between the U.S. and North Korea on other issues, though such cooperation was hardly assured. As things stand now, there seems to be precious little cooperation and, of course, no movement towards denuclearization. The Washington Post
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July 20, 2018 — John Hinderaker
I know, I’m jumping the gun on tomorrow’s Week In Pictures. But here’s the thing–I can access a preview of Steve’s post, which will go up in the morning, and these cartoons by Michael Ramirez aren’t included. So I offer these three cartoons, all created very recently, with a clear conscience. Michael envisions the Senate battle over confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, a completely unexceptionable nominee, to the Supreme Court. I
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June 16, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Philip Rucker of the Washington Post claims that President Trump is “open[ly] embrac[ing] totalitarian leaders around the world.” Rucker also tries to persuade us that Trump’s “embrace” is rooted in a desire to be a dictator himself. Rucker is one of the most persistent and intellectually dishonest Trump-hater among the Post’s squadron of “resisters.” However, I don’t deny that Trump went overboard in praising the odious Kim Jong Un. Thus,
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June 15, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
President Trump’s enemies are expressing outrage that he saluted a North Korean general. They compare it to President Obama’s bow to the Saudi king, which Trump found objectionable, and find it far more offensive given the extraordinary odiousness of the North Korean regime. But Trump’s salute was nothing like Obama’s bow. I’m sure you’ve seen the video of the salute, but let’s recap what happened. Trump extended his hand to
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June 13, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Any accounting of the diplomacy between President Trump and Kim Jong Un should take into account not only what was agreed to in Singapore, but also what was agreed to before the summit. It should not take into account mere agreement to strive for denuclearization, prosperity, peace, love, and understanding. What did Trump get for the United States? The release of three American captives; the return of remains of missing
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June 13, 2018 — John Hinderaker
A long-time reader with whom we correspond frequently sent us a link to “President Trump’s Video Message To Kim Jong Un: ‘A New Peaceful World Can Begin Today,'” with the comment: “Have you guys seen this? Brilliant video.” Scott was less than impressed, and wondered what is good about it. Steve suggested that the video’s “goofy style” may be based on a psychological profile of Kim Jong-Un, or maybe on
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