Trump crosses another line

With twenty unprecedented steps at the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, President Trump set up an elaborately symbolic photo opportunity and took “Twitter diplomacy” to a new level. After a hour-long closed meeting, Trump said stalled discussions on denuclearization would resume, but there was some caution that the US was giving the North Korean regime legitimacy with nothing to show for it in return. As usual, any ultimate value will be in the eventual outcome.

Trump’s trip to Korea came after the G20 meeting in Japan, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman as well as joking with Vladimir Putin about getting rid of journalists and Russian meddling in US elections.

And the president turned the event into a family affair, even if world leaders seemed less than enamoured.

But of course, all that was just a successfully distracting sideshow.

This coming week, Trump is planning an elaborate Fourth of July event in Washington DC, but has been accused of politicizing what has been a traditionally non-partisan celebration.

Oh, and he also found time to attack former President Jimmy Carter.

Meanwhile, the circular firing squad reloads

As the so-called “attention primary” gears up, the Democrats who want to take Donald Trump’s job next year held their first televised debates over two nights in Miami. They were probably most notable for good performances by Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, and a worrying wake-up call for former Vice President Joe Biden, who’s perhaps realizing that he has to do more to win than just show up, and that there are many cons as well as pros to a lifetime of public service. As he tried to restore equilibrium the following day, he managed to mangle a Seamus Heaney quote – surprisingly, since it’s one he has used many, many times – so clearly he’s finished…

But of course…

Yearning to breathe free

One of the issues raised in the debate and sure to be at the centre of the coming campaign is immigration, with the Democratic candidates appearing unsure of an effective strategy. President Trump, meanwhile, warned that a series of raids was coming on illegal immigrants, likely beginning on or after July 4th, after being previously postponed.

The world was stunned earlier in the week by a tragic  photograph of a father and daughter who had drowned attempting to cross the Rio Grande. The image inflamed debate around the humanitarian crisis at the southern border and, perhaps unexpectedly, about media sensitivities.

On Friday, the Supreme Court said it would address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation affecting the so-called “dreamers” in its next term, guaranteeing to keep the controversial issue in the public eye ahead of the election.

 

‘A cavorting charlatan’

Despite all the attention-generating news their president creates every single day, the US press also found time to take a look this week at the contest to be Britain’s next prime minister – and particularly at its front-runner. The outcome probably wasn’t what Boris Johnson would welcome, even if by now he should probably be expecting it.

But, demonstrating his famous water-off-a-duck’s-back political strategy, Boris followed up “hairgate” by managing to put a positive spin on events at Glastonbury this week.

This, though, was maybe the best thing about Stormzy’s set…

Meanwhile, Michael Spicer gave us this piece of comedic genius:

(and he followed it up with a similarly brilliant skewering of the Dalai Lama)

‘A leader for her team and her time’

Finally, Sunday sees New York’s Pride parade and celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

And it’s beautifully fortuitous that there’s a certain football match happening on Tuesday that features America’s latest great gay icon: