It seems like only yesterday that U.S. President Donald Trump was locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. From the floor of the United Nations no less, Trump denounced Kim as "rocket man," warning him that his irresponsible behavior would unleash "fire and fury the likes of which the world had never seen." Kim responded by calling Trump "a mentally deranged U.S. dotard" that he would "surely and definitely tame ... with fire."
Last week, however, brought the stunning news that Kim had told visiting South Korean envoys that he was committed to denuclearization and he was eager to meet with Trump as soon as possible. More incredibly, Trump accepted the offer, and tweeted "meeting being planned." The staff at the White House struggled to fill in details, first walking back the acceptance, then confirming that the meeting will be held while prevaricating over conditions.
It is a remarkable reversal, one in keeping with Trump's desire to upend the conventional wisdom, shatter shibboleths and do what none of his predecessors would have risked. As a White House official explained after the announcement, Trump is ready to "take approaches very, very different from past approaches and past presidents," adding "President Trump made his reputation on making deals. ... It made sense to accept an invitation to meet with the one person who can actually make decisions instead of repeating the, sort of, long slog of the past."