Trump Leaves Future of North Korean Summit in Kim Jong-un's Hands
*By Alisha Haridasani*
Though President Trump abruptly canceled his planned meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, there's still a possibility the highly-anticipated summit could take place in the future, if the two sides can tamp down their antagonism and agree to a framework for denuclearization, analysts said.
In a [letter](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/999686062082535424) Thursday to the North Korean leader, Trump said, “it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting.” The summit was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore.
"The North Koreans have two choices: They can either choose to overreact and perhaps engage in a heated rhetorical exchange with President Trump in the future," said Lisa Collins, a fellow at the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Or they can play it cool and engage with the Trump administration in back-channel communications."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a crucial player in setting up the summit, was taken by surprise, describing the abrupt turn of events as “very regretful and disconcerting.”
Trump's letter was sent just hours after North Korea threatened to scuttle the meeting, and several antagonistic comments by Kim, which may have prompted the president to get ahead of the devolving diplomatic situation.
North Korea's threats were inspired, in part, by Vice President Mike Pence’s comments on Fox News on Monday where he warned that if the country doesn’t agree to denuclearization, it would meet the same fate as Libya.
Pence was referring to the case of the former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was captured and killed by rebels in 2011 during the Arab Spring. The country had given up its nuclear arsenal in 2003, and the United States helped rebel groups topple him eight years later.
The comments alarmed Kim, who has made clear he would not agree to any sort of regime changes.
“North Korea, on its own side, has referred to denuclearization as a process by which the U.S. first guarantees its security,” Collins said in an interview with Cheddar.
Trump’s letter was a mix of praise for Kim and forceful language. He thanked North Korea for releasing American hostages and reminded Kim that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is “so massive and powerful.”
Trump did, however, keep the door open for a future summit.
“There’s still room for them to agree to have a meeting in the future, it just depends on whether can narrow their difference,” Collins said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-cancels-summit-with-north-korea).
Florida lawmakers have introduced a controversial bill restricting some discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms with young students. Supporters say the move empowers parents to have more of a say in what their children learn. Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones joins Cheddar News to discuss more.
Congress this week passed a bill that would end forced arbitration for workplace sexual assault and harassment, one of the most significant changes to employment law in years. Cheddar News speaks with Marjorie Mesidor, Sexual Harassment Attorney, who explains that arbitrators are often retired judges or attorneys who "tends to have a more conservative view both to law and rewards."
As the situation with Russia has grown more precarious, the White House urged Americans remaining in Ukraine to leave immediately. The Biden administration that it sees continuing signs of escalation but did not have specific information detailing a timetable for a potential invasion. Kristine Berzina, senior fellow and head of the geopolitics team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, joined Cheddar News to provide her analysis. "There's talk of an impending phone call between President Putin, President Biden," Berzina said. "That is certainly a good sign to indicate that there would be significant cost."
Terrell Starr, host of 'Black Diplomats' podcast and senior nonresident fellow at the Eurasia Center for Atlantic Council, joins Cheddar News from Kyiv, Ukraine to discuss the mounting tension there.
The White House laid out plans for a $5 billion investment into a national network of charging stations to ease EV driving anxiety. Bruce Brimacombe, CEO of EV infrastructure GOe3 joined Cheddar News to discuss how much needs to be done for drivers to get over the fear of running out of energy. "People need to be able to do what they're doing now," he said. "But that is the way that if you're going to buy an electric car, you got to feel like you're not changing your world." Brimacombe noted that building out the infrastructure between cities was GOe3's own focus.
U.S. automakers are saying that the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, a crucial border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, is affecting their production lines. Michelle Krebs of Cox Automotive warns that the disruption "couldn't come at a worst time," amid chip and labor shortages in Detroit.
AND DETROIT-BASED AUTO MAKERS SAY THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN PLANTS OR SCALING BACK PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF PARTS SHORTAGES.
Plans to add affordable housing to a development in Yellow Springs, Ohio, were squashed after comedian Dave Chappelle and other community members spoke out against the project. Chappelle threatened to pull the plug on his local comedy club and restaurant projects if the development had been approved.
David Tafuri, Former Obama Campaign Foreign Policy Advisor & Former State Department Official, joined Cheddar News to break down the latest geopolitical stories from Beijing, amid China's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and yet another Russian doping scandal.
Dr. Jennifer Haythe of Columbia University's Irving Medical Center, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest with the pandemic, as the debate over child safety rages amid low vaccination rates and states easing school mask mandates.
