President Donald Trump made history on Sunday, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea. Yet his brief handshake with North Korean leader Chairman Kim Jong-un just across the 38th parallel has been criticized as a media stunt and has drawn the ire of political opponents.
“It’s just an honor to be with you, and it was an honor that you asked me to step over that line. And I was proud to step over the line,” Trump told Kim.
Trump’s impromptu visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone followed the G-20 Summit in Japan, and was first floated publicly last week with Trump saying on Twitter he was open to coming to “say Hello(?)!” The meeting was Trump’s third with the North Korean dictator and came just over a year since the two men met in Singapore, which was the first ever meeting between leaders of the two countries.
In a rare public statement, Kim said through a translator that the visit is “an expression of [Trump’s] willingness to eliminate all the unfortunate past” and look to the future.
Trump has been widely criticized for giving Kim an elevated platform on the world stage without firm concessions on nuclear proliferation and an easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
“It is a big moment for diplomacy ... but what did the president really get,” John T. Bennett, Roll Call’s White House correspondent, told Cheddar. “This is reality television 101, this is Donald Trump 101.”
Kim sees nuclear weapons as “key to his survival as the supreme leader and giving that up will be a big lose internally,” Bennett added.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the White House was pursuing a new round of negotiations and was open to a nuclear freeze, which would be a far cry from Trump’s stated goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea. National Security Advisor John Bolton denied the Times report on Monday, saying on Twitter that it was a “reprehensible attempt by someone to box in the President.”
Several Democrats and 2020 presidential candidates spoke out against the meeting and criticized Trump’s affinity for the world’s strongmen. The meeting with Kim also followed a publically jovial chat with Russian President Putin just days prior in Japan.
In a statement to CBS News, a spokesman for former Vice President Joe Biden said Trump’s “coddling of dictators at the expense of American national security and interests is one of the most dangerous ways he's diminishing us on the world stage and subverting our values as a nation.”
California Sen. Kamala Harris also slammed the meeting, tweeting that Trump “should take the North Korean nuclear threat and its crimes against humanity seriously. This is not a photo-op. Our security and our values are at stake.”
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the U.S. president “shouldn’t be squandering American influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator.”
Trump ended the meeting with Kim on Sunday with an invitation to the White House. North Korean state media reported that the two leaders privately agreed to stay in touch and continue a dialogue.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
All month long Cheddar News is celebrating Black History Month.
In our nation’s capital, Black history is being made right now.
cheddar's own Arielle Hixon puts the spotlight on three lawmakers making that happen, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) joined Cheddar News to talk about the current political climate in America, including efforts to roll back voting rights in multiple states in light of Black History Month. "Why do we have to deal with those who still believe that somehow this country only belongs to the whites of the country and that somehow they have to do everything that they can to undermine our voting and do voters suppression to keep us from being influential and at the table by which to solve problems?" she asked. Waters chided "two Democrats" who she said were stymying attempts to rectify the issue and also spoke on President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
