What makes Trump’s interactions with Kim so distressing is that he doesn’t hold his nose. Instead, the president often gives Kim the diplomatic equivalent of a sloppy, wet kiss — and if you object to that imagery, remember that Trump himself has described his relationship with Kim as a kind of romance. At a West Virginia rally last year, Trump said: “I was really being tough — and so was he. And we would go back and forth,” Trump said. “And then we fell in love, okay? No, really — he wrote me beautiful letters, and they’re great letters.”
Indeed, Trump seems to relish any interaction with Kim. Why? Because Kim has figured out how to flatter Trump’s ego. The weekend summit may well have been the result of Kim’s flattery: Just a few weeks ago, Trump showed Time magazine reporters a “birthday letter” written by Kim and delivered “by hand” to the president. Trump was plainly thrilled. “It’s pretty good, right? I mean this is pretty good,” he told the reporters (before threatening them with prison if they published the letter’s contents).
Kim knows Trump needs coddling. He needs to be loved and praised. Of course, this is probably true of most politicians, but Trump’s need for flattery is excessive, more than merely a personal quirk: His personal neediness is now the lodestar of American foreign policy. As a result, old friends and allies are held at arm’s length, while rivals and tyrants get the red carpet treatment from Trump.
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