From the New York Times are Michael Barbara. This is today, President Trump abruptly cancels a historic summit with in general, the World and North Korea In particular, he writes has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace. It's Friday may, twenty I'm here. North Korea's nuclear test cited punk eighty a place, the forger We have never been allowed before, and we are here. North korean government says to witness the destruction of this site. They say it will never be able to be used,

get Thursday began with this carefully selected group of journalists who had been flown into North Korea to witness the demolition. The blowing up of an underground nuclear testing facility Mark Landlord, covers the White House for the times the North Koreans had made it very big show of inviting this group of outsiders to witness this ass. We travel around fifteen hours to get here first by bus through the coastal city of one song compartment seven here we are then some twelve. Where's by train, they had to truck them to a very remote site by plane by car they even had to hike a certain amount of distance to get to this place is viewing site where they could watch this Letty buried into a hillside blow up in front of them. They had three tunnels that were remaining at the time and they blew them up were major.

and why did North Korea demolish this site? Is it a public fashion? This men to be one of a series of confidence building gestures by the North Koreans halting missile tests. Releasing three Americans who'd been detained in North Korea, gestures to the United States and South Korea that the North Koreans were serious They said they were ready to give up their nuclear arsenal, and all of this, of course, was aimed at building confidence in advance of the big. Oh, the meeting between Kim Jong on the north korean later and President Trump. So, yes, Thursday, started off on a very promising note. Well then, again for a vigorous here in the United States and around the world significant breaking news on this Thursday morning, the plan summit, the historic summit in just a few weeks

between Kim Jong Moon and President Trump is now off this coming in a letter. So very soon, after the end of this highly public exercise in North Korea, the demolition of this nuclear cite the White House puts out a letter about nine forty five in the morning late afternoon in North Korea, from President Trump, two Kim Jong on, in which the president essentially says our meeting is off. Did anyone know that this letter was coming? No, it came completely out of the blue, frankly, even more so, because President Tromp had recorded an interview with Fox the witch aired. Early in the morning on Thursday June twelfth are you gonna, be insane We will see what happens in which he spoke quite optimistically about the prospects for us

there's a good chance and it would be a great thing for North Korea. If that happens, there will be a great thing for North Korea. Most importantly, it would be a great thing for the world. So we'll see what I write. It really truly was a bolt from the blue and work. What is this letter from President Trump took him? Dolan actually say: well, it begins. Dear. Mr chairman, we greatly appreciate your time, patience and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by but parties which was scheduled to take place on June twelve in Singapore, we were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very

looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate at this time to have this long planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter served her represent that the Singapore summit for the good of both parties, but to the debt men of the world will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God. They will never have to be used. Well, yes, there is a lot to impact there. There is enough by the line. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Why say that as an introduction to cancelling this meeting,

Well one of the points the Americans have made from the very start. Is you guys asked for this? We didn't ask for you came to us. We didn't come to you that said press tromp, particularly as time has gone on in his had more time to get used to the idea of this meeting and to look forward to it has become very attracted by the prospect and he's puddle. Of time in the cultivating his relationship with Kim Jong IL even though the two men have never met present Trump has spoken about, came in very personal terms. For quite a few weeks now, so I think that this line captures both points one you came to us, but to I really was beginning to have a relationship with you, so this coven earnest sentiment here that he wanted this meeting to occur and his kind of a little crushed that it's not that absolute you're right. I think one thing that's been very clear about present tromp, particularly in the last two to three weeks, is

he really really was looking forward to this meeting, has wasn't a show on his part. He wasn't being dragged into. He didn't even really have misgivings about it. On a personal level, he was savouring the opportunity he was excited by it. Okay, so then the present rights that the meeting is cancelled because of what he calls tremendous anger and open hostility from North Korea What exactly is he referring to? Well, the most immediate thing he's referring to is a statement that was issued overnight by a top north korean official device Foreign minister, and in that statement the official goes after vice as my pants calling vice president, my pants quote April medical dummy says that he masonry dance the north korean position- and he is saying, uninformed and stupid things, so there is a personal insults, that's being lobbed here at the vice president. But beyond that the statement

on to say that if you don't meet us in a room, maybe you'll meet us on the battlefield. You know. Maybe we will have a nuclear showdown while so there is actually a very serious threat here of military hostilities, that's also being rolled out by the North Koreans. But why would North Korea called the vice president of the United States, it's a dummy. So now too, I exclusive interview with the vice president, starting with that meeting at the White House, we'll vice President pants invoked. Libya There was some talk about the Libyan my last week and you know, as the president made clear this, sir. This war. We end like the libyan model ended if Kim Jong on doesn't make a deal. Remember Libya model, which we have discussed here before Libya promised to get rid of its nuclear weapons in exchange for economic help, even though it would be a gave up its nuclear weapons or its programme that eventually led to

overthrow of Libya in genuine is likely mindful of Gaddafi's bloody end, as opposition forces in his country gained power. I think what's at play here is The libyan model is a particularly provocative issue for the North Koreans, and so the fact that vice President Pence brought it up only a few weeks after John Bolton, the National Security advisor first floated the idea may have lodged in their minds as a sign that the? U S was not, adding this model out of its head, and so they needed to push back hard on that. So I think it's a combination of anger at the libyan model, but a growing recognition of just how much distant separates the two sides. President Trump made it clear in the United States of America. Under his leadership is not to tolerate the regime in North Korea possessing nuclear weapon send ballistic missiles that threaten the United States,

and our allies. So Trump ends this section of a letter that you read with a pretty explicit threatened pointing out that the Eu S House a quote massive nuclear arsenal and they would Shame if we had to use it. Why would you do that? I think this goes to the second part of what the North Koreans were saying in their statement, which is this kind of threat that if you do meet us in the negotiating table. Maybe you'll meet us on the nuclear battlefield. I think this is the present reminding the North Koreans. You know what have more of those than you do. It was really, I think, no more complicated than that. Its role in Congress to have the President say how sad he is to not do this meeting. You really want to do and simultaneously say we might nuclear

no kidding, I mean, there's a lot of paradoxes, but there's been paradoxes and president trumps relationship with Kim Jong on from the Start rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. This, after all, is the relation that began with Trump calling him little rocket. Man rocket man should have been handled a long time ago and then, almost overnight, things have changed very radically from a few months ago, no, the name calling and a lot of other things turn into this very strange. Courtship, he really has been where he wound up, referring to him as a gentleman who had behaved honourably. Think very honourable from everything wishing there has been this paradox in how tromp has treated came from the beginning, and I think we do see it even in this letter today. So how does this letter and will you read the last paragraph trump rights, I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is.

Only that dialogue that matters some I look very much forward to meeting you in the meantime Am I want to thank you for the release of the hostages, who are now home with their families. This was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated if you change your mind having to do with this most important summit. Please do not hesitate to call me right, the world and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is truly a sad moment in history. Sincerely yours, Donald, J Trump, president of the United States. What do you make of this second part of a letter? Well, I think, there's a couple interesting things to zero in on one I would point out is his phrase that the only dial That matters is the one between you and me. That may be a way of saying too can forget about

on Bolton, forget about my pants and forget about the libyan model. What matters is what you and I talk about across the table from one another. That's what's important, then he goes on say someday. I look forward to meeting you and I'm thinking for the release of the hostages. The hostages was a major gesture on Kim's part. It was something that gave present trump an enormous left at home I think he was genuinely grateful foreign and then he goes on to say you know if you have a change. Are. You know how to reach me, which you know again as an exceedingly. Range use of language and a letter between two heads of state that, if ever met one another. It almost feels more like a letter you might and someone you had a fight within your hoping you can make up in the future, but that's kind of the underlying tone of the whole letter. This letter is a deeply personal one, and it- and it is, worth, noting the President dictated every single word of this letter himself, while yes, this Not a letter written

a committee or drafted form by Secretary of state using time tested language. This was president trumps own language put down on paper we'll right back as a surgeon and president of Howard, University, Doktor Wayne Frederick, believes even are tough. His times can lead to string and change this is a difficult stormy do it, but it was strengthened in a way that no classroom activity could ever have I'm only shipper host of the past. That mean all the difference I talked to achieve it about how their managing the current moment and charging a course for the future find that made all the prince anywhere. You get your podcast created by Bank of America

it still feels like a little ambiguity around exactly what happened here. There's the obvious surface theory starting with John Bolton and then my pants, that language from the? U S, spooked North Korea, and so they issued threats and that until the president and he cancelled the meeting. But what do you think is really behind this historic decision to end? this historic summit. I think there's a couple of other elements that are intriguing, I'm not sure they're, absolutely the main pause, but I'll mentioned both one. Is the United States sent a group out from the White House to start making arrangements in Singapore and they or in Singapore for three days waiting for their north korean counterparts and the north Ryan's, never showed up. They ended up the american group and that group included the White House, deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagen, a man whose planned

residential trips going all the way back to George W Bush, so that I think was seen as quite problematic. Quite a major snob on the part of the North Koreans I think the second area is worthy of exploration- is the role of the chinese president, children ping. Kim Jong on, went out to see region jinping twice most recently a couple of weeks He went to visit him in a coastal chinese city Dolly on and as soon as he got back to North Korea, there was a perceptible shift in North Korea's tone towards the United States, the big question and president from self has raised. This is what happened in that meeting. Was she right? I will say I'm a little disappointed, because, when Kim Jong on had the media with President Cheat in China, the second in the first reading. We know about the second meeting. I think there was

change in attitude from Kim Jong on. So I don't like that. Did President she tell Kim Jong on to go back to Pyongyang and take a tougher tone or, alternatively, did Kim Jong on say to president. She you know. I really don't want to do this meeting. If I pull out, will you have my back we don't know the answer to that question? But I think it's a major part of what may have happened here. I wonder if the summit was doomed from the start, based on the death of the trust and these very different goals of both countries. The? U S, manning that North Korea immediately de nuclear eyes, North Korea sang we can't you

we won't do that. We fear that that leads us to giving up our protective shield, or was this a case of both sides, the president and his people, and commit and his people could have mocking this all up with their actions and their statements. I think, if you speak to american diplomats that have been involved in previous negotiations with North Korea, they will tell you was doomed from the start, because the gap between the two sides was simply unbridgable. I think what President Trump manage to do interesting lie enough by sheer. Force of enthusiasm is kind of make people rethink their assumptions about North Korea. Well, maybe, if the President of the United States can get Kim Jong on across the table, they can do what thirty years of negotiators have failed to accomplish. They can actually bridge the gap to summit

than the last week has been a reality check on that euphoria? It's been a kind of an exercise in people throwing cold water on both. From income, and now we emerge at the end of this period with even president tromp thinking. Maybe I gotta Hedda myself. Maybe there simply is too much distance between us for even a deal maker like me to bridge, and I think that's what the letter also reflects his conclusion: that as exciting as a possibility. As this was it's not actually a good idea and probably never was yeah, that's right, because the price of failure is high. You ve had that meeting at the leader to leader level, and you fail to get to the goal. Wear it have left to go mean one of the interesting things about what president from did here is: he inverted the normal secret of diplomacy. Normally you would have begun this conversation at a much lower level. You would have met

a ministerial level. Maybe you would have moved up to the Secretary of State in the foreign minister and only then, if you were making progress, would you bring in the big guns to actually close the deal? What president trumpeted here in effect is, he said, let's bring the big guns in for the first meeting and I think what he discovered is the risks of doing that are simply too high. Why there's there so much going on so much reading between the lines, both with this letter and with all these comments from all these sides leading up to this letter? Being written? U S partly blaming China. North Korea is blaming John Bolton. What do you think all of us is really about? Ultimately, what does this letter really represent? I think for all of the complexity, all of the different forces all of the agendas. This letter really comes down to a relationship between two people and in it.

And by one of them president tromp to salvage the relationship with the other Kim Jong on. The solid relationship, even as he ends this historic summit, I think maybe the president's thinking is- I gotta take this step now to preserve the relationship down the road. Thank him up, thanks, Michael in a statement on Thursday night North Korea,

There was ready to talk to President Trump quote at any time. Trumps decision to cancel the summit. The statement said did not match the world's desire leader Kim Jong had focused every effort. It said on his meeting with President Tromp hears. What else you need to know the Times reports that Harvey Weinstein's, disgraced movie is expected to surrender to police and men have not riding on charges that here

Wait one woman enforced another to perform oral sex on it. It is the first time that wine steamed will face criminal charges for a pattern of alleged sexual assault that stretches back decades We have done something today is very important because we write it wrong. It was wrong in a lot of people, know what I'd do it without being an expert on the subject. I knew it for a long time, in an oval office ceremony on Thursday, President Trump pardoned, boldly boxer Jack Johnson, the country's first black heavyweight champion, who was sent to prison in nineteen. Thirteen for crossing state lines with a white woman Jack Johnson not treated fairly, and we have corrected. Honour to have done in eliminating the case was brought to the president's attention by the actor Sylvester Stella

who attended the White House ceremony along with Johnson's niece, Linda Linda, would like to say something on of Jack. A long time coming I am really wound by these party being issued. That would help to rewrite history raise the shame and the humiliation their family felt for my uncle of great hero

fleeing, imprison unjustly. The daily is produced by view about Lindsey, Garrison, Rachel question, any brown and emails I x rays, com, the rajah, clear, ten scattered page Cowan, Michael Simon, Johnson and Jessica Charmed, with editing help from Lavrushka Anderson LISA Tobin is our executive producer. Samantha Hennig is our editorial under our technical manager is Brat Fisher and our theme, music, is by Jim Blunder and Ben Landmark of Wonderingly special thanks to sandaled, Mikhail Bouchard, Chris Wood and Stella ten. That's it for the Daily Michael Barbara, a reminder that tomorrow will bring you the sixth chapter.

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