North Korea is showing another change in behavior following the Singapore Summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un on June 12th.
First, following the summit, North Korea began removing anti-American propaganda present in the country. A series of murals, banners, and posters displayed throughout Pyongyang have long depicted the U.S. as a brutal aggressor bent on destroying North Korea. By the end of June, they canceled their annual anti-American-themed military parade, another positive sign. (RELATED: North Korea Cancels Annual Anti-American Military Parade).
This is a notable difference between the behavior of Iran, as Obama negotiated the Iran nuclear deal. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei routinely lead crowds to chant “Death to America” in unison while his nation was still in talks with America over the deal. It looked so horrible from a PR perspective that during negotiations, John Kerry asked Iran to stop leading such chants at political rallies. Clearly, they didn’t listen.
When Trump negotiates, people listen.
According to the Daily Wire, “Satellite images from July 20 and July 22 show that the North have begun dismantling facilities at their Sohae Satellite Launching Station, which experts believe played a major role in their development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.” This is based off a report from 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea related news that originated as a project from Johns Hopkins University.
By July 20th, the North Koreans dismantled the Sohae launch pad
38 North reports that the “roof and supporting structure” of a “rail-mounted processing/transfer structure” have been partially removed as “numerous vehicles are present—including a large construction crane.”
The report further notes that “considerable progress has been made in dismantling the rail-mounted processing/transfer structure.”
By July 22nd, the test stand superstructure had been completely dismantled.
Prior to the release of this report, Trump tweeted out “A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no Nuclear Tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy. But the Fake News is saying, without ever asking me (always anonymous sources), that I am angry because it is not going fast enough. Wrong, very happy!”
A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no Nuclear Tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy. But the Fake News is saying, without ever asking me (always anonymous sources), that I am angry because it is not going fast enough. Wrong, very happy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018
And all this after the media relentlessly attacked Trump for even daring to meet with Jong-un. MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson accused Trump of being complicit in a public relations makeover for a dictator. Fellow lunatic Rachel Maddow released argued in an episode on June 12 that Trump’s pledge to halt the war in South Korea is a “giveaway to N. Korea” that “suits Putin’s goals.” Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff accused Trump of not being a tough enough negotiator.
And then there was this rare bit of honesty from Michelle Wolff’s horrible Netflix show:
They’d really rather North Korea be a nuclear power than have to give Trump credit for anything. Trump later called the media coverage “almost treasonous.”
Never forget that Obama wouldn’t even consider as much as meeting with North Korea’s leadership, and refused offers from Dennis Rodman, who wanted to be a messenger between the two countries. “Obama didn’t even give me the time of day,” Rodman said tearfully to CNN during the historic peace summit. “I asked him — I said I have something to say from North Korea. He just brushed me off. But that didn’t deter me.”
Trump, meanwhile, called Rodman prior to the summit to thank him for his efforts.
What a difference one administration can make.
