BLeP wrote:
Trump isn't getting played. He's just lying about what NK has done.He's not really lying. He's just completely given up.
If it takes two years, three years or five months,” Mr. Trump said, suggesting that the timeline for North Korea to surrender its nuclear weapons was flexible. “I got all the time in the world,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t have to rush it.” (source)
He openly admits he has no clue what to do. Which is status quo for Presidents. So I wouldn't fault him just for that. It's a really hard problem. Except by publicly admitting he's given up he's blown all deal-making leverage and signaled N.K. to build full tilt, which they're doing. I have no idea why he'd blow all deal-making leverage by admitting defeat. I think he's just moved on to the caravan. Lot easier to defeat a few thousand destitute South Americans than a nuclear power.