2020 Democratic hopefuls slam Trump's meeting with Kim as 'photo opportunity', say he's 'coddling' dictators - Fox News

The candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary put aside their squabbles on Sunday - sort of - to focus on a common enemy: President Trump.

From former Vice President Joe Biden to former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, the Democratic hopefuls derided Trump’s third meeting with North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un – accusing the president of everything from “coddling” dictators to posing for a photo opportunity.

“President Trump’s coddling of dictators at the expense of American national security and interests is one of the most dangerous ways that he’s diminishing us on the world stage and subverting our values as a nation,” Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said.

TRUMP HEADS TO DMZ, DANGLING POSSIBILITY OF MEETING KIM AND CROSSING INTO NORTH KOREA

Bates added that Trump’s “conduct reinforces that we urgently need a president who can restore our standing in the world, heal relationships with key allies Trump has alienated and delivered real change for the American people.”

Trump and Kim met in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and briefly stepped into the north – making him the first sitting U.S. leader to do so.

After asking if Kim wanted him to cross, Trump took 10 steps into the North with Kim at his side, then escorted Kim back to the South for talks at Freedom House, where they agreed to revive the stalled negotiations.

The spectacle marked the latest milestone in two years of roller-coaster diplomacy between the two nations. Personal taunts of "Little Rocket Man" (by Trump) and "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" (by Kim) and threats to destroy one other have given way to on-again, off-again talks, professions of love and flowery letters.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tweeted Sunday that Trump “shouldn’t be squandering American influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator. Instead, we should be dealing with North Korea through principled diplomacy that promotes US security, defends our allies, and upholds human rights.”

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY STEPHANIE GRISHAM ROUGHED UP BY NORTH KOREAN SECURITY GUARDS

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who is locked in a close battle for second in the polls with Warren, reiterated his Senate colleague’s “photo ops” comment and added that Trump “weakened the State Department.”

“The concern here is his incredible inconsistencies. I have no problem with him sitting down with Kim Jong Un in North Korea or any place else. But I don’t want it simply to be a photo opportunity, the whole world’s media was attracted there,” Sanders said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Sanders added: “What’s going to happen tomorrow and the next day? He has weakened the State Department. If we’re going to bring peace to this world, we need a strong State Department, we need to move forward diplomatically, not just do photo opportunities.”

Another Democratic senator running for president, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, was skeptical that any substantive agreements would come to fruition from Trump’s talks with Kim.

“We want to see a denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, a reduction in these missiles but it’s not as easy as just going and, you know, bringing a hot dish over the fence to the dictator next door,” Klobuchar said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This is a ruthless dictator and when you go forward, you have to have a clear focus and a clear mission and clear goals.”

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Castro, who has seen a boost in his profile since Wednesday night’s debate, also lambasted Trump for “raising the profile of a dictator like Kim Jong Un” without any substantive gains being made.

"It's worrisome that this president erratically sets up a meeting without the staff work being done,” Castro said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “It seems like it's all for show; it's not substantive.”

The former Secretary for Housing and Urban Development added: "I am all for speaking with our adversaries, what's happened here is this president has raised the profile of a dictator like Kim Jong Un and now three times visited with him unsuccessfully because he’s doing it backward.”

Kim is suspected of having ordered the killing of his half-brother through a plot using a nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in 2017. Meanwhile, the United Nations said in May that about 10 million people in North Korea are suffering from "severe food shortages" after the North had one of the worst harvests in a decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-30 18:03:00Z
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2020 Democratic hopefuls slam Trump's meeting with Kim as 'photo opportunity', say he's 'coddling' dictators - Fox News

The candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary put aside their squabbles on Sunday - sort of - to focus on a common enemy: President Trump.

From former Vice President Joe Biden to former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, the Democratic hopefuls derided Trump’s third meeting with North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un – accusing the president of everything from “coddling” dictators to posing for a photo opportunity.

“President Trump’s coddling of dictators at the expense of American national security and interests is one of the most dangerous ways that he’s diminishing us on the world stage and subverting our values as a nation,” Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said.

TRUMP HEADS TO DMZ, DANGLING POSSIBILITY OF MEETING KIM AND CROSSING INTO NORTH KOREA

Bates added that Trump’s “conduct reinforces that we urgently need a president who can restore our standing in the world, heal relationships with key allies Trump has alienated and delivered real change for the American people.”

Trump and Kim met in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and briefly stepped into the north – making him the first sitting U.S. leader to do so.

After asking if Kim wanted him to cross, Trump took 10 steps into the North with Kim at his side, then escorted Kim back to the South for talks at Freedom House, where they agreed to revive the stalled negotiations.

The spectacle marked the latest milestone in two years of roller-coaster diplomacy between the two nations. Personal taunts of "Little Rocket Man" (by Trump) and "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" (by Kim) and threats to destroy one other have given way to on-again, off-again talks, professions of love and flowery letters.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tweeted Sunday that Trump “shouldn’t be squandering American influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator. Instead, we should be dealing with North Korea through principled diplomacy that promotes US security, defends our allies, and upholds human rights.”

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY STEPHANIE GRISHAM ROUGHED UP BY NORTH KOREAN SECURITY GUARDS

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who is locked in a close battle for second in the polls with Warren, reiterated his Senate colleague’s “photo ops” comment and added that Trump “weakened the State Department.”

“The concern here is his incredible inconsistencies. I have no problem with him sitting down with Kim Jong Un in North Korea or any place else. But I don’t want it simply to be a photo opportunity, the whole world’s media was attracted there,” Sanders said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Sanders added: “What’s going to happen tomorrow and the next day? He has weakened the State Department. If we’re going to bring peace to this world, we need a strong State Department, we need to move forward diplomatically, not just do photo opportunities.”

Another Democratic senator running for president, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, was skeptical that any substantive agreements would come to fruition from Trump’s talks with Kim.

“We want to see a denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, a reduction in these missiles but it’s not as easy as just going and, you know, bringing a hot dish over the fence to the dictator next door,” Klobuchar said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This is a ruthless dictator and when you go forward, you have to have a clear focus and a clear mission and clear goals.”

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Castro, who has seen a boost in his profile since Wednesday night’s debate, also lambasted Trump for “raising the profile of a dictator like Kim Jong Un” without any substantive gains being made.

"It's worrisome that this president erratically sets up a meeting without the staff work being done,” Castro said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “It seems like it's all for show; it's not substantive.”

The former Secretary for Housing and Urban Development added: "I am all for speaking with our adversaries, what's happened here is this president has raised the profile of a dictator like Kim Jong Un and now three times visited with him unsuccessfully because he’s doing it backward.”

Kim is suspected of having ordered the killing of his half-brother through a plot using a nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in 2017. Meanwhile, the United Nations said in May that about 10 million people in North Korea are suffering from "severe food shortages" after the North had one of the worst harvests in a decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-30 17:50:07Z
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'Millions march': Sudanese renew protests to demand civilian rule - Aljazeera.com

Tens of thousands of protesters have poured onto the streets of Khartoum and elsewhere as part of mass rallies aimed at pressuring Sudan's ruling generals to hand over power to a civilian-led administration and seeking justice for the scores of victims of a deadly military crackdown.

Dubbed the "millions march", Sunday's demonstrations were the first since security forces on June 3 killed more than 100 people during the bloody dispersal of a protest camp outside the military headquarters, the focal point of the protesters' months-long struggle for democracy.

Protesters who spoke to Al Jazeera, which was banned by the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) from reporting in the country just a few days before the sit-in's dispersal, said there was a "huge turnout" in Khartoum despite a widespread internet blackout.

"They said they wanted to make their demands heard," said Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Juba, the capital of neighbouring South Sudan.

"People are also saying that the military and the riot police are using tear gas, live ammunition and stun grenades to try and disperse the crowd."

'Civilian rule!'

Images posted on social media appeared to show heightened security around the capital, with the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the group blamed by protesters for the June 3 killings deployed in pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns in several Khartoum squares.

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In the northern Khartoum district of Bahari and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital's east, police fired tear gas as thousands of protesters chanted "Civilian rule! Civilian rule!", witnesses reportedly said. Security forces were also reported to have fired tear gas at demonstrators in the eastern town of Gadaref.

Reports also said that a protester had been shot dead in Atbara, the birthplace of the uprising that led to al-Bashir's removal.

First death reported from today’s protests. He reportedly died from a gunshot wound in the chest in Atbara.#SudanUprising #Watch_Sudan_June30th https://t.co/TVPbSkuDTF

— Hiba Morgan (@hiba_morgan) June 30, 2019

The march came as the African Union (AU) and neighbouring Ethiopia stepped up efforts to mediate the ongoing crisis between the protest organisers and the TMC, which seized power in April when it overthrew long-time President Omar al-Bashir in the wake of mass protests against his autocrat rule.

Rights groups have demanded the TMC guarantee the safety of demonstrators but on Saturday, on the eve of the rallies, the ruling generals warned that they would hold the protest movement responsible for any deaths or damage.

RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo on Saturday warned he would not tolerate any "vandalism" at the protests.

"There are vandals, there are people who have an agenda, a hidden agenda, we don't want problems," said Dagalo, who is widely known as Hemeti and is also the TMC's deputy head.

'Break barrier of fear' 

In the run-up to the protests, which also mark the 30th anniversary of a coup that had brought al-Bashir to power in 1989, many Sudanese said they feared new violence.

"I expect large numbers ... and it's very possible that security forces will use force," said 25-year-old Mustafa, who gave only his first name for security reasons, adding that he planned to participate.

Talal, 29, added: "Even if only a few rallies take place in Khartoum, they will break the barrier of fear and more people will take to the streets" in the coming days."

Sudan braces for 'millions march' as protesters regroup (3:13)

The umbrella opposition group behind the protest, the Freedom and Change alliance, said demonstrators in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman would march to the homes of some of the protesters killed on June 3.

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A doctors' group linked to the protest movement said at least 120 people were killed in the crackdown, but officials cited a death toll of 61.

The TMC insists it did not order the sit-in's bloody dispersal but acknowledged "excesses" after orders were given to purge a nearby area allegedly notorious for drug peddling.

AU-Ethiopia joint proposal

Tensions remain high since the sit-in raid, which followed the collapse of talks over who should lead a new governing body - a civilian or soldier.

Ethiopia and the AU have proposed a blueprint for a civilian-majority body, which the generals say could be a basis for resuming talks.

Demonstrators' "right to peacefully protest and express their views on 30 June, or on any other date, remains key", the European Union said.

Amnesty International's Secretary-General Kumi Naidoo said the TMC "must not allow the country to slide back into yet more repression".

"The world is watching."

In the lead-up to al-Bashir's fall, tens of thousands of demonstrators were mobilised through social media, but now protest leaders have to resort to neighbourhood campaigns to keep the movement alive.

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2019-06-30 14:44:00Z
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Harry Kazianis: Trump's unconventional North Korea strategy -- is it worthy of a Nobel Prize? - Fox News

In Washington, D.C.-area Asia circles last week, the rumor mill was buzzing with the news of a possible media event at the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas during President Trump’s visit to South Korea. The other part of that rumor, that Trump would have a third summit, or at least a short meeting, with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un, was also floated—but no White House or Blue House officials would commit to anything (well, at least not to me).

But something told me I was not to be disappointed. I held out hope for one reason: Donald Trump’s strategy for dealing with North Korea always involved taking the old rulebook on dealing with the Kim regime and lighting it on fire. What violates such diplomatic decorum more than a meeting planned with little notice and almost no time to prepare? Such a gathering, however, oozes with the potential to get Washington and Pyongyang back on track towards a new type of relations free of nuclear threats. It also hints to the possible elimination of Kim’s nuclear weapons altogether. In other words, it was just too good to pass up for both sides, as I saw it.

TRUMP MEETS KIM IN DMZ, BECOMES FIRST SITTING US PRESIDENT TO STEP INTO HERMIT KINGDOM

With no risk, and lots of possible rewards, why not give it a shot? Trump’s greatest advantage in dealing with Pyongyang is that he simply does not care about the so-called proper way of conducting diplomacy. His mission, as it has always been, is to keep the American people safe, secure and prosperous. A meeting along the DMZ, even if it was quick and more of a gut check to see where Chairman Kim stood on the all-important question of denuclearization, clearly attempts to advance such an agenda. Trump took a chance for peace, with little downside to trying.

In my humble opinion, the president has done more good on the Korean issue in the last year and a half than President Obama did in eight.

Ever the showman, the president did not disappoint. In a historic gathering where Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea, he met with Chairman Kim jointly with South Korean President Moon Jae-in while also having a separate meeting with Kim. While no major deal was announced, just the sheer act of Trump crossing into North Korea territory is progress itself, a sign that trust is building and that both sides can work towards a brighter future. Remember, history is all about mind-blowing optics that change hearts and minds. Most people can’t recite the details of a certain treaty or document that made history, but they always remember the photo that did. Trump delivered that Sunday.

To be honest, this is a day I never thought I would see in my lifetime. During the dark days of 2017, I thought the chances were high that a nuclear war between America and North Korea could break out at any moment. While no handshake can take the place of full-blown nuclear disarmament, meetings such as these can set the tone where more summits and working level gatherings can take place for both sides to make big gains. We must start somewhere, and the past two summits and now Sunday’s gathering all build trust toward the harder work and agreements that are yet to come.

But, just as in all things that involve President Trump, those who can’t stand his clearly unconventional and unorthodox style as commander-in-chief were quick to lash out. Word from the pundit class—or the so-called foreign policy “experts” in both parties who cheered on the Iraq War, the disaster in Libya or countless other international debacles that cost our nation trillions of dollars and too many American lives—called Trump a fool for doing this.

That’s just flat wrong. While I have always believed progressives take their attacks on Trump too far, I can’t say I agree with everything the president does, either. For one, I am not a fan of Trump’s shoot-from-the-cellphone tweetstorms, going on a rampage on whatever issue has upset him at the time. I do get frustrated when he gets the facts wrong on some of the most basic issues. But on this issue, the idea that he is pulling out all the stops to try and get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and perhaps someday join the brotherhood of nations, is not only smart statecraft, it’s also good common sense.

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Sorry, I won’t let the good outweigh what is merely annoying. In my humble opinion, the president has done more good on the Korean issue in the last year and a half than President Obama did in eight. North Korea is no longer testing nuclear weapons or long-range missiles, and Trump is now apparently pen pals with Kim. Is it all rather strange? Yep. But is it better than a war that would kill millions of people? For sure. And while we have a long way to go before we can declare North Korea is no longer a threat to America, I for one love what the president is doing. And so should the American people.

And heck, if President Obama received a Nobel Prize for nearly nothing, then I think there is only one obvious thing to do, and that’s to make sure Donald Trump receives the award as well.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM HARRY KAZIANIS

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2019-06-30 13:48:12Z
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Stephanie Grisham bruised in 'an all out brawl' with the North Koreans - CNN

A source at the scene said Grisham got in "an all out brawl" with North Korean officials as American and North Korean reporters were hustled in to view the summit. Grisham was bruised a bit in the scuffle, the source added.

Grisham could be seen after the episode directing reporters outside the building in which Kim and Trump met, and she was later seen looking no worse for wear as she accompanied the President at the DMZ.

Trump shook hands with Kim on Sunday and took 20 steps into North Korea, making history as the first sitting US leader to set foot in the hermit kingdom. The encounter at the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone -- their third in person -- came a day after Trump raised the prospect of a border handshake in a tweet and declared he'd have "no problem" stepping into North Korea.

Grisham, who has been the communications director for first lady Melanie Trump for the past two years, was named last week to replace Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary. Grisham will keep her current job too.

The first lady announced Grisham would assume the role of both White House press secretary and communications director on Tuesday, tweeting: "I am pleased to announce @StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She has been with us since 2015 - @POTUS & I can think of no better person to serve the Administration & our country. Excited to have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse. #BeBest"

CNN's Kevin Liptak and Kate Bennett contributed to this report.

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2019-06-30 13:32:00Z
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Jeremy Hunt: I'd back no-deal Brexit with 'heavy heart' - BBC News

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Jeremy Hunt has said he would back a no-deal Brexit with a "heavy heart" but would, unlike Tory rival Boris Johnson, not commit to a deadline for leaving.

He told the BBC leaving the EU was a "democratic promise" that must be kept, whatever the economic repercussions.

But he said the quickest way to leave was via a new deal and guaranteeing a specific exit date was a "fake debate".

The leadership candidates have also defended their plans to spend billions on education, defence and transport.

Mr Johnson, who is the frontrunner in the race to be the new Conservative leader, and the UK's next prime minister, told Sky News he would be prepared to borrow more to spend on vital national infrastructure.

He told the Sophy Ridge programme there was up to £25bn "available" in the short term which "we intend to use" on public services rather than reducing the deficit.

• Hunt 'could withhold part of EU divorce bill'
• Hunt 'would give Johnson cabinet job'

Mr Hunt told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he would also use the "war chest" built up by Chancellor Philip Hammond, generated by the improved state of the public finances.

But he conceded some of his spending priorities would "have to wait" if the UK left without a deal - as the money would be needed to support businesses affected.

'Drift and dither'

The 160,000 Conservative Party members will begin voting next week and Theresa May's successor is expected to be announced on 23 July.

The issue of when the UK leaves the EU remains a key dividing line in the contest.

Asked to guarantee that Brexit would happen by the end of 2019, Mr Hunt insisted the UK would leave sooner under his leadership as he was best placed to get an improved deal that could break the impasse in Parliament.

While a no-deal Brexit must be a last-resort, he said the UK would make a success of it and no-one should doubt his willingness to go down that route if necessary.

"The difference between me and Boris is not as big as people are saying," he said. "At the beginning of October, if there is no prospect of a deal that can get through parliament, then I will leave at the end of October because that is our democratic promise to the British people."

Mr Johnson said he would take "personal responsibility" for ensuring the UK leaves by 31 October, with or without a deal, as the current "drift and dither" could not continue.

Asked whether he was prepared to suspend Parliament to force through a no-deal exit, he said he did not "like the idea" but MPs must accept "responsibility" given the gravity of the situation.

Tax and spending plans

The candidates continue to be questioned on the affordability of their tax and spending plans, having both pledged to reduce the National Insurance burden on the lowest earners while also promising more money for schools, social care and transport.

Mr Hunt claimed the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank had got its figures wrong after it said his plans would "exacerbate" the pressures on the public finances.

Earlier in the Tory leadership race, Mr Hammond wrote to all the contenders to say the next prime minister would potentially have an extra £15bn in "available borrowing capacity" to spend in 2020-2021, rising to £25bn in 2023-24, while keeping within the existing fiscal rules.

But he said these sums were dependent on avoiding a no-deal Brexit and warned them against endangering the Tories' "hard-won reputation for fiscal and economic competence" by abandoning debt and deficit targets.

Mr Hunt said he agreed with his colleague and greater prudence would be required if the UK ended up leaving without a deal.

"If we had a no-deal Brexit, some of these spending commitments would have to wait because you would need to divert money to support businesses up and down the country.

"They would take longer because you would not have that money at your fingertips."

'Living within means'

But the foreign secretary said he was still committed to cutting corporation tax to 12.5% whatever happened.

"It is not the tax cut people are talking about on the doorstep but it is the one which would fire up the economy in a way that would be helpful in a no-deal context."

Mr Johnson said he would use the existing financial "headroom" in the Treasury's budget to increase investment in policing and schools, with more support for special needs education as well as an increase in per pupil funding.

And he also indicated he would be prepared, in the long-run, to increase borrowing levels to pay for his spending commitments.

"I'm prepared to borrow to finance certain great objectives but overall we will keep fiscal responsibility and keep going with the general trajectory of ensuring that this country pays its way and lives within its means," Mr Johnson told Sophy Ridge.

"But you can do that with some sensible tax cuts that will stimulate growth, stimulate enterprise, get more revenue in."

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2019-06-30 10:59:52Z
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DMZ: Donald Trump steps into North Korea with Kim Jong Un: Live updates - CNN

US President Donald Trump with US service members stationed in South Korea in Osan Air Base. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has told US troops at South Korea's Osan Air Base that his "unexpected" meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "great."

"That's a great country with tremendous potential," the US President said. "I have a good relationship with chairman Kim, they were giving us a great briefing at the DMZ."

As for his walk into North Korean territory, Trump called it a "historic moment and a very good moment."

"Everybody was so happy and many people I noticed from Korea were literally in tears, crying."

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2019-06-30 11:09:00Z
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Donald Trump steps into North Korea with Kim Jong Un: Live updates - CNN

Nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea had appeared to come to something of a standstill in recent weeks ahead of today's historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

Their last meeting: Trump and Kim last met face-to-face at the end of February in Hanoi, Vietnam. But their second summit ended early without an agreement, with both sides claiming the other over-reached.

In the weeks that followed the collapsed summit, there was little word of any progress between the two sides.

What comes next: Following his meeting with Kim today, Trump said talks would resume, led by special representative Steve Biegun.

Biegun said earlier this month that "the door is wide open" for talks to continue, but noted that "US-North Korean diplomacy has been in something of a holding pattern" since Hanoi.

The focus of previous talks led by his team where on further progress towards North Korean denuclearization. Trump barely mentioned that word when he talked about today's meeting with Kim, however, focusing instead on his personal relationship with the North Korean leader.

Pyongyang's big focus is on getting sanctions relief. Trump said after meeting with Kim that sanctions will remain in place for now, but indicated they could be relaxed if talks go well.

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2019-06-30 09:16:00Z
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Trump, Kim meet at Demilitarized Zone, face-to-face for first time since Hanoi - Fox News

Justice with Judge Jeanine - Saturday, June 29

On today’s episode of Justice with Judge Jeanine, Judge Jeanine and her guests talk about President Trump in South Korea after the G20 Summit. They also discuss him inviting Kim Jong Un to meet at the DMZ and he restarts trade talks with China. She also does a one on one with Eric Trump.

After days of speculation -- and optimistic statements by the two leaders -- President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met and shook hands Sunday at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

It was their first face-to-face meeting since an ill-fated summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February.

Trump arrived at the DMZ shortly before 2 a.m. Eastern U.S. time, accompanied by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. They were shown awaiting Kim's arrival, along with South Korean military members and other officials.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

But before the meeting with Kim was expected to begin, Trump met with some military members and others and was expected to review some relics from the Korean War era.

"We're with you all the way," Trump told the service members, who included both U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as well as South Korean forces.

Finally around 2:40 a.m. ET, the two leaders spotted one another from a short distance apart, then walked toward one another. They met, shook hands, then briefly walked across the border into North Korea before crossing back to the DMZ.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step foot inside the Hermit Kingdom.

"I was proud to step over the line," Trump told Kim later, inside the Freedom House on the South Korea side, according to the Associated Press. "It is a great day for the world."

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Kim appeared pleased by the meeting, the report said.

"I believe this is an expression of his willingness to eliminate all the unfortunate past and open a new future," Kim said of Trump, according to the AP. He added that he was "surprised" when Trump extended the invitation on Saturday.

"I believe this is an expression of [President Trump's] willingness to eliminate all the unfortunate past and open a new future."

— Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader

TRUMP HEADS TO DMZ, DANGLING POSSIBILITY OF MEETING KIM AND CROSSING INTO NORTH KOREA

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Earlier, while taking in the view from Observation Post Ouellette at the DMZ before meeting with Kim, Trump told reporters that there has been "tremendous" improvement in U.S.-North Korea relations since the first summit with Kim in Singapore last June.

Later, Trump said he would invite Kim to visit the U.S., and possibly the White House.

"I would invite him right now," Trump said, according to the AP.

Kim, speaking through a translator, said he would invite Trump to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, "at the right time."

It was Trump's first visit to the DMZ, which every president since Ronald Reagan -- except for President George H.W. Bush -- has toured during their time in office, according to the Associated Press. But the elder Bush, who died last year, visited the DMZ while serving as vice president under Reagan, the AP reported.

President Donald Trump views North Korea from the Korean Demilitarized Zone from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas in South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Earlier Sunday, Moon told reporters that Kim had agreed to meet with Trump. The confirmation came at a joint news conference between Moon and Trump following their brief meeting in Seoul.

"President Trump is the maker of peace in the Korean Peninsula," Moon said in announcing the plan.

"President Trump is the maker of peace in the Korean Peninsula."

— South Korean President Moon Jae-in

Prior to the news conference, both Trump and Kim had expressed hopes that the meeting would be possible. But Trump said earlier Sunday that logistical and security issues still needed to be addressed.

The Marine One helicopter, top, carrying President Donald Trump to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) takes off from Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019, as a staff helicopter prepares en route to the DMZ. (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands following their news conference at the Blue House in Seoul, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

At the news conference, Moon told reporters that Kim had accepted Trump's invitation to meet at the DMZ, the heavily fortified site at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. Trump also offered to be the first U.S. president to step into North Korea.

Trump told reporters he was looking forward to the meeting with Kim, which would follow their previous summits -- at Singapore last June and in Hanoi in February.

Nonetheless, Trump downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying it would be "just a step" in trying to repair the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea and move toward a U.S. goal of nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.

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Trump is in South Korea visiting Moon after attending the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, where he met with the leaders of China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, among others.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-30 08:02:30Z
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Trump, Kim meet at Demilitarized Zone, face-to-face for first time since Hanoi - Fox News

Justice with Judge Jeanine - Saturday, June 29

On today’s episode of Justice with Judge Jeanine, Judge Jeanine and her guests talk about President Trump in South Korea after the G20 Summit. They also discuss him inviting Kim Jong Un to meet at the DMZ and he restarts trade talks with China. She also does a one on one with Eric Trump.

After days of speculation -- and optimistic statements by the two leaders -- President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met and shook hands Sunday at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

It was their first face-to-face meeting since an ill-fated summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February.

Trump arrived at the DMZ shortly before 2 a.m. Eastern U.S. time, accompanied by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. They were shown awaiting Kim's arrival, along with South Korean military members and other officials.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

But before the meeting with Kim was expected to begin, Trump met with some military members and others and was expected to review some relics from the Korean War era.

"We're with you all the way," Trump told the service members, who included both U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as well as South Korean forces.

Finally around 2:40 a.m. ET, the two leaders spotted one another from a short distance apart, then walked toward one another. They met, shook hands, then briefly walked across the border into North Korea before crossing back to the DMZ.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step foot inside the Hermit Kingdom.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

TRUMP HEADS TO DMZ, DANGLING POSSIBILITY OF MEETING KIM AND CROSSING INTO NORTH KOREA

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

While taking in the view from Observation Post Ouellette at the DMZ, Trump told reporters that there has been "tremendous" improvement in U.S.-North Korea relations since the first summit with Kim in Singapore last June.

It was Trump's first visit to the DMZ, which every president since Ronald Reagan -- except for President George H.W. Bush -- has toured during their time in office, according to the Associated Press. But the elder Bush, who died last year, visited the DMZ while serving as vice president under Reagan, the AP reported.

President Donald Trump views North Korea from the Korean Demilitarized Zone from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas in South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

Earlier Sunday, Moon told reporters that Kim had agreed to meet with Trump. The confirmation came at a joint news conference between Moon and Trump following their brief meeting in Seoul.

"President Trump is the maker of peace in the Korean Peninsula," Moon said in announcing the plan.

"President Trump is the maker of peace in the Korean Peninsula."

— South Korean President Moon Jae-in

Prior to the news conference, both Trump and Kim had expressed hopes that the meeting would be possible. But Trump said earlier Sunday that logistical and security issues still needed to be addressed.

The Marine One helicopter, top, carrying President Donald Trump to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) takes off from Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, June 30, 2019, as a staff helicopter prepares en route to the DMZ. (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands following their news conference at the Blue House in Seoul, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Associated Press)

At the news conference, Moon told reporters that Kim had accepted Trump's invitation to meet at the DMZ, the heavily fortified site at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. Trump also offered to be the first U.S. president to step into North Korea.

Trump told reporters he was looking forward to the meeting with Kim, which would follow their previous summits -- at Singapore last June and in Hanoi in February.

Nonetheless, Trump downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying it would be "just a step" in trying to repair the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea and move toward a U.S. goal of nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump is in South Korea visiting Moon after attending the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, where he met with the leaders of China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, among others.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-30 07:38:32Z
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Special Report: Trump meets North Korea's Kim Jong Un in the DMZ - NBC News

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2019-06-30 06:44:53Z
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Trump embraces dictators and despots in deal-making G20 summit - CNN

On Friday and Saturday here, Trump sat for talks with men accused of masterminding election fraud and a grisly murder. He worked to strike a trade deal with the President of a nation imprisoning a million religious minorities in remote camps. And he tweeted an optimistic "meet you there!" message to the despot who's assassinated underlings with anti-aircraft guns.

Trump's penchant for dictators has always been a pronounced aspect of his foreign policy, but in Japan he appeared to throw aside attempts at masking it. If there is a Trump foreign policy doctrine -- and there is no consensus among experts and analysts that there is -- it would most likely center on the pursuit of deals, no matter the dealmakers.

"It's about relationship. Otherwise, you end up in very bad wars and lots of problems," Trump explained during a breakfast with the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was named last week by the United Nations as a probable orchestrator of the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist who lived in the United States.

With tiny jars of strawberry jam and vases of yellow roses on the table, Trump brushed off a question on whether he would raise Khashoggi's murder, which was carried out using a bone saw.

"Uh," Trump said, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat frowning next to him, "thank you very much."

In Trump's view, it's the bad guys who can make the deals worth making, not necessarily the traditional US allies who are bound by legislatures and political concerns that would hamper their ability to negotiate.

With Prince Mohammed, Trump hopes to secure new commitments for purchases of military equipment. And the Middle East peace plan devised by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner depends on financial contributions from the wealthy Gulf monarchies to the Palestinians, a gambit that has drawn deep skepticism.

Those efforts, more than the advancement of human rights or justice for a gruesome murder, are Trump's stated goals. The US President said later he had raised the Khashoggi matter in private with Prince Mohammed, describing himself as "extremely angry."

But he defended himself against the notion he only cozies up toward dictators.

"I get along with a lot of people," he said. "I also get along with people who would be perceived as being very nice."

Trump's worldview isn't new

The realpolitik nature of Trump's worldview is not new, but in Japan it came into its sharpest relief as the President darted from meeting to meeting with accused murder masterminds, avowed authoritarians and former spies.

Trump hoped to find further realization of his view that only interpersonal skills can resolve the global disputes of the day in his closely watched trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beforehand, Trump himself insisted on a delay to a planned speech by Vice President Mike Pence pegged to the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, which was expected to call out China's troubling human rights and religious freedom record. He was concerned the message might appear discordant with his trade efforts, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Clearing any obstacles toward a trade understanding, Trump found himself with an agreement, albeit one that looked awfully familiar to the understanding he reached with Xi seven months ago, when the two sides agreed to hold off on tariffs as talks proceeded.

Asked after the meeting how it went, the hawkish trade adviser Peter Navarro -- an ardent advocate for tariffs who's irritated more moderate members of Trump's team -- just gave a shrug with both hands.

In Japan, Trump met briefly with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who he deemed a "fantastic woman." And he was frequently approached by French President Emmanuel Macron for some intense words, though they did not meet formally.

Instead, Trump's highest-profile meetings were reserved for leaders who have tended toward authoritarianism.

A date with Kim?

It was due to continue at his next stop in Seoul, when Trump is hoping to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for a handshake at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

"I just thought of it this morning," Trump said of his tweet, framing the message to Kim like an email to some distant cousin who lives in a city he's passing through. "We'll be at the area."

Whether it was as spontaneous as Trump made it out to be is doubtful; he told reporters from The Hill newspaper earlier in the week he planned a visit to the DMZ but the White House asked the outlet to delay publication citing security concerns.

Planned or not, the potential encounter with Kim comes without the back-and-forth negotiations that preceded Trump's earlier two summits with the leader, both of which have so far failed to rid the country of its nuclear weapons. In the end, the Singapore and Hanoi summits were more about friendship than hard-fought dealmaking anyway, and the DMZ handshake doesn't appear any different.

Trump, who has sought to imbue his diplomatic efforts with drama and intrigue, was eager to assess the reaction in Osaka.

"Have you seen my tweet?" Trump asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the leaders' coffee lounge, according to Moon's office. When he responded affirmatively, Trump gave a thumbs up.

With other leaders, Trump employed hyperbolic congratulations for those who'd recently won elections -- just as some of his own early foreign-courters used outsized compliments of his upset victory in their efforts to woo him.

"We're with a gentleman who had one of the greatest election wins anywhere in the world," Trump said next to Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right President who's adopted Trump's populist (and, in Bolsonaro's case, misogynistic and homophobic) rhetoric.

"You did indeed have a landslide election. That was a great election," Trump told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, praising him for "pulling everybody together" despite accusations he's given more power to a Hindu majority at the expense of Muslims and other minorities.

An eye on 2020

Electioneering is never far from Trump's mind, particularly as he nears his own reelection battle. He arrived in Japan pledging to remain focused on the work at hand -- an intentional attempt to project a presidential air while his rivals were squabbling among themselves back home.

Those assurances didn't last long; Trump deemed the first night of the Democratic debates "BORING!" in a tweet and later told Germany's Merkel that, after passing by a television set in the G20 airing the event, he wasn't impressed. How or why a television was airing a US political debate backstage at the G20 isn't clear; it's seems more likely that Trump's aides arranged for the broadcast to sate his interest in his rivals.

He couldn't offer election congratulations to the Saudi Crown Prince, who achieved his powerful post through birth and will never face an election. But he found room to praise him nonetheless for the reforms that once captured the world's attention.

"I think especially what you've done for women -- I'm seeing what's happening; it's like a revolution in a very positive way," Trump said.

While some new rights for Saudi women have been secured, including the ability of women to obtain drivers' licenses, strict guardianship laws still restrict the rights of women in the country. Ivanka Trump, the President's daughter and senior adviser, seemed more pointed when she provided notice during a session on women's empowerment that those issues would be on the agenda even with repressive regimes.

"The United States looks forward to working with all of those here today, including Saudi Arabia which will be hosting the next G20 presidency, to advance these important and critical goals," she said.

Putin's presence

There's no other leader that has intrigued Trump like Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose efforts to elect him Trump has denied, despite assessments from US intelligence agencies. Trump has spent the first years of his presidency angrily consumed by the investigations into the Russian election meddling, but this week seemed in a lighter mood.

After greeting each other like buddies, Trump smirked when asked whether he would warn Putin not to meddle again.

"Yes, of course I will," Trump responded, turning to Putin to wag a finger, "Don't meddle in the election."

Earlier, Trump employed a favored phrase to make some small talk as he awaited the start of the meeting.

"Fake news is a great term, isn't it? You don't have this problem in Russia, but we do," he told Putin, who objected: "We also have."

In some ways, Trump's behavior appeared designed to inspire outrage in his opponents rather than appease Putin. After all, the more Trump's congressional rivals view him as overly accommodating to Russia, the more likely they are to take matters like sanctions into their own hands -- putting Putin in an awkward position as he works to cultivate Trump.

A study of contrasts came last Friday, when the outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May met herself with Putin for the first time since a Russian poisoning effort in Britain killed two UK citizens.

"Stone-faced" would be too warm a term to describe May's visage as she met Putin for a photo-op. Starting ahead without catching Putin's eye, the prime minister's mouth turned downward and her arm barely extended past her hip as she forced Putin to reach out to her for a handshake.

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2019-06-29 15:15:00Z
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France weather: Heat wave spreads across Europe - CNN

France is expecting temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts on Saturday, a day after it shattered its record mark multiple times in one day.

Spain, which is dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire that tore through 10,000 acres of forest in the country's north-east on Friday, is bracing for temperatures of up to 42 degrees, according to its national meteorological body AEMET. The country is still affected by a "mass of tropical wind coming from Africa'a mass of tropical wind coming from Africa," the agency said.

And the UK saw its hottest day of the year by some distance, with the mercury rising to 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) and threatening the country's hottest-ever June mark of 35.6 degrees, set in 1976.

The hot weather is hitting sporting events across Europe, including the first-ever Major League Baseball game to be played in London. In a sign of how unusual the June heat wave is, organizers at Lord's Cricket Ground in the city even allowed spectators at the World Cup match between Australia and New Zealand to remove their jackets at the pavilion.

At Glastonbury, revelers ditched the mud-proof boots usually associated with Britain's most famous music festival -- and showers at the event were closed to preserve water at the Worthy Farm site.

The continent has been baking in the heat all week, with cities springing into action to prevent it from turning fatal.

French authorities have taken a number of radical steps this week to prevent a repeat of the tragic consequences of the 2003 heat wave that left around 14,000 people dead. Around 4,000 schools were closed in the country on Friday and the opening hours of parks and public swimming pools have been extended.

Paris activated its heat emergency plan last weekend, put together in the aftermath of the 2003 heat wave. Cooling rooms were opened in some municipal buildings and mist showers were installed in the streets in the city, which is seeing temperatures of over 35 degrees on Saturday.

Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic all recorded their highest-ever June temperatures during the week.

And the heat is set to move east in the coming days, with countries including Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary preparing for marks in the mid-30s at the start of next week.

Climate scientists have warned that heat waves such as this one are becoming more frequent and increasingly severe because of the climate crisis. Météo-France, the country's meteorological body, said the frequency of such events is expected to double by 2050.

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2019-06-29 15:55:00Z
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5 Takeaways From the G20 Summit: Easing Off the Trade War, for Now - The New York Times

OSAKA, Japan — Before President Trump had even arrived for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, this past week, he set the tone by attacking America’s closest allies, including the host country.

By the time he left for South Korea on Saturday, he had shared jokes with President Vladimir V. Putin about getting rid of journalists and about election meddling, surprised his aides with an overture to the leader of North Korea, and announced the resumption of stalled trade talks with China.

[Read more of our coverage on the G20 summit]

Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s dive back into international diplomacy.

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The American and Chinese delegations on Saturday.CreditErin Schaff/The New York Times

The trade war with China has shifted.

After meeting China’s leader, Xi Jinping, on the side lines of the G20 summit, Mr. Trump told reporters on Saturday: “We discussed a lot of things, and we’re right back on track” with trade talks.

Mr. Trump also said that the United States would not impose any new tariffs on Chinese exports while the talks were underway, and that China had agreed to resume broad purchases of American farm products and other goods.

The negotiations broke down seven weeks ago, when the Chinese side said that it could not accept some provisions that had been tentatively agreed to in an incomplete draft. The Saturday developments delay the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on some $300 billion in Chinese imports.

In a more surprising move, Mr. Trump backtracked on a ban on sales of American equipment to Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant. “U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei,” Mr. Trump said, explaining that he wanted to help American companies that had complained about the ban. In exchange, he said, China agreed to buy a “tremendous amount” of American food and agricultural products.

In May, the Commerce Department put Huawei on a blacklist that prohibits American companies from selling equipment to Huawei. The move was a major blow to Huawei, which relies on chips and other equipment from the United States.

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South Korean soldiers on guard in May in the village of Panmunjom, which lies inside the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.CreditKim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Trump and Kim Jong-un may meet again soon.

Mr. Trump said on Saturday that he would visit the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea on Sunday and publicly invited Mr. Kim, the North’s iron-fisted leader, to meet him there.

In a post on Twitter, Mr. Trump said he would be happy to see Mr. Kim.

North Korea indicated on Saturday that it would welcome such a meeting.

[Read more about the stakes of Mr. Trump’s invitation]

“I consider this a very interesting suggestion, but we have not received any official proposal,” Choe Son-hui, North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, said in a brief statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

Mr. Trump’s tweet caught the diplomatic corps and even his own advisers off balance, since his last meeting with Mr. Kim, in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February, ended in dramatic failure. He told reporters that the tweet had been spontaneous. “I just thought of it this morning,” he said. “We’ll be there, and I just put out a feeler.”

In reality, he had been toying with the idea for days. The Hill, a Capitol Hill news organization, reported on Saturday that Mr. Trump had signaled his interest in the idea during an interview on Monday. The White House asked that his comment not be reported because of security concerns.

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President Trump portrayed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia as a reformer opening up a long-closed society, while ignoring evidence of his complicity in the murder of a Saudi dissident.CreditErin Schaff/The New York Times

Backing the Saudi crown prince sends a powerful signal.

No one is more important to Saudi efforts to rehabilitate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi than President Trump, who hosted the de facto Saudi ruler for a personal breakfast on Saturday where he lavished praise on the prince as a reformer opening up his society.

Mr. Trump’s actions sent a powerful signal to the rest of the world and represented a cold-eyed calculation that America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia was more important than the killing of one dissident.

Mr. Trump depicted the prince as a revolutionary figure who is modernizing his country and fighting terrorism. “It’s like a revolution in a very positive way,” Mr. Trump said. “I want to just thank you on behalf of a lot of people, and I want to congratulate you. You’ve done a really spectacular job.”

The president ignored questions from reporters about the prince’s role in the killing and dismemberment of Mr. Khashoggi last October. He also asserted that Prince Mohammed was “very unhappy about” the murder.

Mr. Trump’s own Central Intelligence Agency long ago concluded that the crown prince ordered the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, who was working as a columnist for The Washington Post while living in the United States, and a United Nations investigator recently pointed the finger at Prince Mohammed as well.

Climate change is still a core dispute.

Climate change stood out as a clear area of dispute among the world leaders coming into the G20 summit in Osaka. Mr. Trump has signaled that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, while President Emmanuel Macron of France threatened this past week that he would not sign any joint statement unless it dealt with climate change, which he called a “red line.”

In a clear move to prevent the group from splintering, the final statement that leaders agreed to at the summit’s conclusion on Saturday reflected an agree-to-disagree approach. The statement said that those signatories that had confirmed their commitment to the pact at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires last year “reaffirm their commitment to its full implementation.”

But the statement also declared that the United States reiterated “its decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement because it disadvantages American workers and taxpayers.”

Prime Minister Shinzo of Abe of Japan, the host of the meeting, acknowledged after the end of the final general session that there had been “major differences in opinions” on climate change. “But to hand over a better planet to the next generation is shared by everyone,” Mr. Abe said, adding, “I believe what is important is to deliver outcomes.”

Climate activists expressed disappointment that the G20 had not been able to push for more aggressive targets.

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Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala Harris clashed during a Democratic debate on Thursday.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times

Trump was distracted by politics at home.

Even from 7,000 miles away, Mr. Trump kept close tabs on his 2020 Democratic rivals.

The president demonstrated a close familiarity with a dramatic exchange on Thursday between Senator Kamala Harris of California and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Ms. Harris drew favorable reviews, particularly on the left, for her stinging attack on Mr. Biden’s history of opposing school integration through busing and his warm recollections of his work with segregationist senators.

Mr. Trump said he was less impressed: “I thought that she was given too much credit,” he said. “It wasn’t that outstanding.”

Mr. Trump also lashed out at a former president, Jimmy Carter, who had questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Trump’s 2016 victory by saying he had “no doubt” that Russia had meddled in the presidential election.

“He’s a nice man. He was a terrible president,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question during a news conference. He added: “I won not because of Russia, not because of anybody but myself.”

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2019-06-29 13:59:28Z
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