Trump Channels Reagan and Walks Away from a Bad Deal

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

President Trump has channeled his inner Reagan. Just as  the Gipper in 1986 walked away from a disarmament negotiation at Reykjavic rather than accede to Mikhail Gorbachev’s unacceptable demands, Mr. Trump today truncated his summit with North Korea’s despot, Kim Jong-un.  

Evidently, Kim thought the President was so anxious to secure some deal that he would end all economic sanctions on North Korea in exchange for considerably less than its denuclearization. Instead, as Mr. Trump put it, “Sometimes you just have to walk away.”

President Reagan was sharply criticized for doing just that. Inevitably, his successor will be, too. As a witness to the Reykjavic summit, I can attest to the intense pressure to accept whatever accord is on offer.  It takes guts and a highly commendable determination to put America first to refuse to go along for temporary political advantage.

This is Frank Gaffney.