Still Angling For A Deal, Trump Backs Kim Jong Un Over Biden, Bolton And Japan

Ashley Parker and Simon Denyer of The Washington Post wrote:

TOKYO —President Trump is so determined to sell his vision of peace with North Korea that he is prepared to back Kim Jong Un over his advisers, his allies and his fellow Americans.

At a joint news conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump directly contradicted his own national security adviser, John Bolton, as well as his host, by arguing that Pyongyang had not launched ballistic missiles this month nor violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.

He also again sided with North Korea over former vice president Joe Biden, after his Democratic rival was branded a “fool of low I.Q.” by North Korea’s state media for calling Kim a dictator and a tyrant.

Trump said he was not “personally” bothered by North Korea’s missile launches this month and said he does not believe they violate the U.N. Security Council resolutions.

“My people think it could have been a violation,” Trump said. “I view it differently.”

On Saturday, the president’s national security adviser, John Bolton, had told reporters there was “no doubt” that North Korea had violated the Security Council resolutions by firing off short-range ballistic missiles.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-denies-north-korea-launched-ballistic-missiles-contradicting-japan/2019/05/27/3b02431a-7e38-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html