Approval of North Korea Talks, Doubts About Seriousness

U.S. President Donald Trump is about to meet North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un in Singapore. The two leaders want to make head-way in concluding a deal to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons ambitions. As our infographic shows, most American’s approve of directly negotiating with the North Korean regime, albeit many think its leadership might not be serious about really addressing de-nuclearization, according to a survey by Pew Research Center.

The world watches on after Trump once more showed signs of acting erratically on the international stage, when he pulled his approval for a joint statement in a tweet on Sunday, calling the G7 summit’s host, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, “dishonest and week”. Until just a few weeks ago, Trump and Trudeau were seen to have a good working relationship. On the other hand, Trump has in the past called Kim Jong-un “rocket man” and a “sick puppy”.

Many observers of international politics have given up on trying to figure out Trump’s foreign policy goals, other than acting out spats of aggressive behavior towards friends and foes alike. Some think Trump is intellectually out of his depth and might not always understand the issues at stake, or he could be struggling with mental health problems that prevent him from acting in a coherent and rational manner.