The art of the no deal: how Trump and Kim misread each other | Julian Borger

North Korean despot and US president’s wildly different perceptions exposed in Hanoi

As with many disastrous second dates, the collapse of Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong-un was made inevitable by the misreading of each other’s intentions at their first encounter.

Since their initial meeting in Singapore last June, the US president had become fixated on what he saw as a close personal bond with the North Korean dictator half his age. He told his supporters: “We fell in love ... He wrote me beautiful letters.”

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Otto Warmbier: Trump says he believes Kim Jong-un was unaware of torture – video

The US president says he takes the North Korean leader's word  that he knew nothing about the torture of the college student Otto Warmbier, who died six days after being returned to the US in a state of 'unresponsive wakefulness’.

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Trump: I took Kim at his word over Otto Warmbier’s torture

President says he believes North Korean leader knew nothing about treatment of US student

Donald Trump has said he took Kim Jong-un “at his word” when he denied any responsibility in the imprisonment and torture of Otto Warmbier that led to the US student’s death in 2017.

“Some really bad things happened to Otto,” Trump said. “But Kim tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word.”

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez targets Trump finances at Cohen hearing – video

'Who else knows that the president did this?,' asked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during her grilling of Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen. The Democratic congresswoman's line of questioning seemed to be aimed at getting names of people who could back up Cohen's testimony or further the investigation into Trump's finances. 'Who would know the answer to those questions?' she asked, and, 'Where would the committee find more information on this?' By the end of her question time, Ocasio-Cortez had a list of names of people who could help uncover any potential financial misdealings of Donald Trump

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Trump on Kim Jong-un talks: ‘Sometimes you have to walk’ – video

The US president, Donald Trump, says it is not a good time to strike a denuclearisation deal after talks with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, break down in Vietnam

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Kim Jong-un answers question from foreign journalist for first time – video

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un answers – for what is believed to be the first time – a question from a foreign journalist. Asked if he was positive about reaching a deal with US president Donald Trump over nuclear disarmament, Kim said it was too early to tell whether a deal could be reached. However, he said he had a 'feeling that good results would come out' of the talks and that he was not pessimistic. Trump then asks a nearby photographer to make sure he sends his pictures to Kim 

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Trump Kim summit: leaders to meet for day two of talks in Vietnam – live

The US president and North Korean leader will sit down in Hanoi to discuss denuclearisation

Trump and Kim are arriving at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi to continue their talks.

#TrumpKimSummit Day 2 getting underway. Both @POTUS and Kim Jong Un arriving at @MetropoleHanoi. pic.twitter.com/M9gedNAdKm

A reminder of the other Trump news story going around at the moment – and the one we suspect the president would much rather we not be talking about – the explosive allegations from Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.

Sen. Lindsey Graham tells @sunlenserfaty he spoke to President Trump last night. “I think he was upset he was gonna have dueling shows here," Graham said. "That it did bother him there's going to be a split screen between Michael Cohen and Kim Jong Un."

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Michael Cohen accuses ‘racist, conman’ Trump of criminal conspiracy

In dramatic testimony, Cohen claims Trump committed crimes to cover up affair and had prior knowledge of Wikileaks release

Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen accused the president in explosive public testimony before Congress of knowing in advance about key events under investigation in the Russia inquiry and of committing criminal conspiracy in the coverup of an extramarital affair.

In a day of high drama before the House oversight committee, Cohen delivered a string of bombshells that could spawn fresh investigations by Congress and the FBI. Testifying on Wednesday, he labelled the US president a “racist” and “conman”, produced signed checks that he said were proof of a fraudulently disguised conspiracy to silence a former adult film actor, and gave what he claimed were eyewitness accounts that implied Trump had prior knowledge of crucial Russia links.

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Michael Cohen: Trump knew about Don Jr’s meeting with Russians – video

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen reveals he believes the president authorised the notorious meeting between members of his campaign team and Russian agents at Trump Tower to acquire 'dirt' on presidential opponent Hillary Clinton

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Michael Cohen’s explosive allegations suggest danger for Trump on two fronts

Trump’s ex-fixer hints Mueller may have proof of coordination with Russia and again alleges campaign finance violations

Michael Cohen on Wednesday delivered a sharp warning to Donald Trump and the Republican party that the president faces legal and political peril on at least two fronts.

First, the Trump-Russia investigation.

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Trump-Kim summit proves to be more of a remake than a sequel

Like most theatrical reboots, the strain in keeping things the same in Vietnam highlighted the small way things changed

Donald Trump vowed that his second meeting with Kim Jong-un would be at least the equal of the first and his Vietnamese hosts tried their utmost to make that happen.

In Hanoi on Wednesday evening, every effort was made in recreating the circumstances and ambience of Singapore, scene last June of the historic first meeting between an incumbent US president and a North Korea leader.

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Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meet for second time – video

The leaders of the US and North Korea meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, at the start of the second nuclear summit. The pair, who looked pleased to see each other as they shook hands, were to hold a brief discussion on Wednesday before full meetings on Thursday

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Trump-Kim Vietnam summit: explosive Cohen allegations look set to overshadow meeting – live

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have arrived in Hanoi for meeting to discuss denuclearisation but claims from Cohen seem likely to dominate

Trump has now tweeted to deny media reports that, going in to the summit, his negotiating position is less than strong and he is preparing to make concessions to North Korea in exchange for only vague promises of nuclear disarmament

All false reporting (guessing) on my intentions with respect to North Korea. Kim Jong Un and I will try very hard to work something out on Denuclearization & then making North Korea an Economic Powerhouse. I believe that China, Russia, Japan & South Korea will be very helpful!

And here it is: Trump has dived into the Cohen allegations on twitter, accusing his former lawyer of lying and fraud (and also referring to himself in the third person)

Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crooked’s lawyer!

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Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam: what is on the table?

From the easing of sanctions to denuclearisation and ending the Korean war, there’s a lot to play for in Hanoi

Donald Trump has said that when he meets Kim Jong-un in Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel on Wednesday evening, the potential for a deal is “awesome”.

Few would argue with that. A move to limit the North Korean arsenal and begin to re-integrate the country back into the international community, would be a significant step away from the brink of nuclear war.

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Michael Cohen: ‘I appreciate the opportunity to clear the record’ – video

'I'm going to let the American people decide exactly who's telling the truth,' Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen told reporters after giving testimony before a closed Senate intelligence committee. It was the first of three congressional appearances this week that are expected to contain explosive testimony about how Trump allegedly broke the law while in office. The public will hear from Cohen on Wednesday when he testifies before the House oversight and reform committee

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Russian troll farm was shut down by US military on day of midterms – live

The US military blocked internet access to a company underwritten by an oligarch close to Vladi­mir Putin during the 2018 midterms

Attorneys and political commentators are alerting a sitting US congressman to the US law on “witness tampering” after the representative in question, Matt Gaetz, appeared to threaten Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who testified before Congress today.

Gaetz, who is from Florida, said:

Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot...

This should not be legal. Intimidating a witness before Congress should be against the law. https://t.co/uVBZR3NzXf

Who wants to tell @mattgaetz that sitting members of Congress aren’t immune from indictment?

My short text convo with @mattgaetz just now:

Me: Congressman, Any chance you have a few minutes to discuss what you implied with your tweet to Michael Cohen? Perhaps a preview?

Gaetz: Watch tomorrow.

Me: Will do -- anything I should be prepared for?

Gaetz: Fireworks https://t.co/g1bwYcjvrg

UPDATE:

Me: Any response to those who say you’re witness tampering? @mattgaetz: I’m witness testing. We still are allowed to test the veracity and character of witnesses, I think.

Me: So you disagree with those who say you’re witness tampering?

Gaetz: Yes. https://t.co/aBRZAF314A

Top strategists from Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign announced they would not be sticking with the Vermont senator for his 2020 campaign.

The New York Times said the departure of the three men, who produced Sanders’ 2020 announcement video last week, was “abrupt.”

Their departure could be indicative of Sanders’ desire to get serious about making changes to his team of strategists in an effort to make a deep run in a wide open Democratic primary field.

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