Nick Kristof on the Trump-Kim Summit: ‘I Don’t Think (Trump) Should Get as Much Credit for Diffusing a Crisis that He Largely Made Himself’

EXCERPT:

KRISTOF: “I think what really disappointed — so surely we’re clearly in a better place now than we were six months ago. David is absolutely right. It's much better to use the diplomatic toolbox than the military toolbox. President Trump has diffused a crisis. But I must say that I don't think he should get as much credit for diffusing a crisis, that he largely made himself. And in terms of what came out of Singapore, I think that he is exalting over the fact that North Korea has agreed to denuclearization. But you know, I’ve been covering this since the 1980s, North Korea has repeatedly -- they haven’t committed to anything new. They've been committing to this since the first 1992 agreement. And in contrast, we really did give up some important things. We gave them security guarantees, we gave them the summit. We gave them the cancellation of the military exercises. And I was particularly maybe discomforted because engagement implies some respect for the other side, it doesn’t imply saying that this dictator loves his people."