On Thursday, President Trump announced that he was calling off the greatly anticipated U.S.-North Korea summit because the other party was acting in bad faith going into it, something the President promised to do weeks ago. Of course, many in the liberal media used the opportunity to suggest it was somehow a diplomatic blunder on his part despite overnight nuclear threats by the regime. ABC seemed to be in that camp as they downplayed North Korea’s recent hostile actions.
ABC kicked off World News Tonight with a report about these latest developments and seemed to suggest President Trump had bad timing:
And we begin with those major developments on North Korea and our new reporting. President Trump calling off the summit on its nuclear program, citing North Korea's, quote, “tremendous anger and open hostility.” It came just hours after North Korea invited journalists to witness what they say was the planned destruction of their nuclear testing site.
The network’s chief White House correspondent, Jon Karl, attacked Trump’s letter calling off the summit as “wistful,” huffed about how it was addressed to “His Excellency,” and for writing: “Dear Mr. Chairman. We greatly appreciate your time, patient and effort." Of course, he automatically wondered if a new war on the Korean Peninsula was approaching.
While Karl noted the release of American hostages, he made it sound like the U.S. was being the unreasonable one. “But North Korea expressed revulsion at demands by U.S. officials that they give up their entire nuclear program before getting anything in return,” he reported. “But after Vice President Pence suggested dire consequences if Kim doesn't give up his nukes, North Korea lashed out, calling pence a, quote, ‘political dummy.’”
But Karl failed to mention that in that same letter, North Korea threatened nuclear action against the U.S., which both of ABC’s broadcast competitors did. “The President wrote in a letter to dictator Kim Jong-un, the North's ‘Tremendous anger and open hostility’ scuttled the summit, a reference to North Korea's statement last night calling vice president pence a ‘political dummy’ and warning of nuclear conflict,” CBS White House correspondent Major Garret reported on CBS Evening News.
“A senior administration official says the President made the decision to cancel the summit after North Korean statements overnight threatening the U.S. with a nuclear-to-nuclear showdown and referring to Vice President Pence as a ‘political dummy,” NBC White House correspondent Kirsten Welker said on NBC Nightly News.
Karl also gave credit to the North for making an effort with the “overture” of “blowing up a nuclear test site in the presence of western journalists.” But many experts suggested the gesture was hollow because the facility might have been too damaged to be used after their most recent nuclear test, which they claimed was a hydrogen bomb. He also omitted how the North Koreans had failed to show up to a planning meeting with the U.S. in Singapore with no notice.
The ABC report also omitted China’s possible influence in sinking the summit. Both CBS and NBC noted their possible meddling via pressure on the North. “They feel a break in the relationship between themselves and North Korea if this summit goes forward without Chinese participation,” Adm. James Stavridis (Ret.) told NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell.
Back when the prospect of a Trump-Kim summit was in its infancy, President Trump made it clear that the summit could be called off at any time if the North acted up in anyway given their history. But now that Trump had made good on the promise, many are trying to claim it was a failure on his part.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC's World News Tonight
May 24, 2018
6:31:47 PM Eastern [3 minutes 35 seconds]TOM LLAMAS: And we begin with those major developments on North Korea and our new reporting. President Trump calling off the summit on its nuclear program, citing North Korea's, quote, “tremendous anger and open hostility.” It came just hours after North Korea invited journalists to witness what they say was the planned destruction of their nuclear testing site. These images just coming in. And on both sides, tough talk. President Trump reminding North Korea today of America's overwhelming nuclear might. So tonight, the question of today’s developments, do they increase the risk of war? ABC's Chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl with the President's answer.
[Curs to video]
JON KARL: President Trump warned ominously the collapse of the summit is bad news for the entire world.
(…)
KARL: The President pulled out in a wistful letter to Kim Jong-un, addressing the North Korean dictator as "His Excellency," writing, "Dear Mr. Chairman. We greatly appreciate your time, patient and effort." But he wrote, due to North Korea's "Tremendous anger and open hostility," "I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting." He also issued a dark warning -- "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."
DONALD TRUMP: I've spoken to General Mattis and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and our military, which is by far the most powerful anywhere in the world, is ready, if necessary.
KARL: I asked the president if that could mean war. Mr. President, does the breakdown of this summit raise the risk of war with North Korea?
TRUMP: Well, we’ll see what happens.
KARL: The breakdown comes after a mind-boggling thaw in U.S./North Korean relations, including two meetings between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Jong-un. And the release of three American prisoners. The President even relished talk of a Nobel peace prize.
(…)
KARL: But North Korea expressed revulsion at demands by U.S. officials that they give up their entire nuclear program before getting anything in return. President Trump tried to show some flexibility on that.
TRUMP: I don't think I want to totally commit myself. But all in one would be a lot better.
KARL: But after Vice President Pence suggested dire consequences if Kim doesn't give up his nukes, North Korea lashed out, calling pence a, quote, “political dummy.” But in his letter, President Trump told Kim, quote, "I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me."
(…)
KARL: Today, North Korea made another overture, blowing up a nuclear test site in the presence of western journalists. And the president is still holding out hope, writing to Kim, "If you change your mind, please do not hesitate to call me or write." Do you expect him to call you, Mr. President? Do you expect him to call you?
[Cuts back to live]
LLAMAS: Jon Karl joins us from the White House. And Jon, you were there in the room there when President Trump announced the June 12 summit was off. But he later told the world not to be anxious, saying, it might happen on that date after all. Is that still realistic?
KARL: No, that's not going to happen, Tom. White House officials made that clear after the President spoke. But there is no doubt the President would like to see this summit get back on track at some point, but it won't be on June 12.
