Why Trump Is Succeeding Where Others Failed On North Korea: James O’Brien

How has Trump managed to make an extraordinary break through with Kim Jong-un? Because North Korea never really believed any president would be mad enough to push the red button… until now.

In a remarkable turn of events, the White House announced the US President had accepted Kim’s invitation to a face to face meeting.

News of the meeting was delivered by South Korean officials, who said the North Korean leader was “committed to denuclearisation”.

Donald Trump described the extraordinary event as “great progress” and if it goes ahead, he’ll be the first sitting US president ever to meet a North Korean leader.

But how has the Republican managed it? This is James O’Brien’s take.

Picture: PA./LBC

He said: “The reason why previous American presidents haven’t been able to leverage North Korea is because North Korea rightly concluded that non of them would be mad enough to kill hundreds of thousands of completely innocent South Koreans in order to prove a political point at home.

“Kim Jong-un, it would appear, although I wouldn’t take anything for granted in this context, he believes as most of us do, that Donald Trump is easily mad enough to kill hundreds of thousands of completely innocent South Koreans in order to prove a political point at home.

“So that fear, that knowledge, possibly that meeting of minds - take ones to know one - could perhaps yield dividence for the world."