Trump: Negotiator-in-Chief

As US President Donald Trump wraps up his second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with the announcement of a major foreign policy victory, we are reminded of Senator Howard Baker’s famous words in the Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?” When the most powerful leader in the world is deeply engaged in a tête-à-tête with the world’s most brutal dictator, his constituents, and indeed, the audiences most affected by his one-on-one negotiation, have the right to know what was discussed behind the scene. Clearly, secret negotiations are an integral part of presidential diplomacy and the second Trump-Kim summit is no exception. But if critical details for obvious national security reasons must remain classified for the time being, the logical questions remain: “How much can you trust the president (or prime minister as the case may be) to do the right thing?” Equally important, “how much counsel has he or she received throughout the process leading up to personal diplomacy?” In the end, one has to believe that the leader will stand on the right side of history.

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