Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met face to face for the second time. Trump seemed pleased to see the North Korean dictator, barely taking his eyes off of him during their public appearances in Hanoi. There were handshakes, laughs, and pats on the back. Trump also heaped praise on Kim saying, “I think your country has tremendous economic potential, unbelievable, unlimited. I think that you will have a tremendous future for your country and be a great leader.” Watch what else they said above (via BBC).
BREAKING: President Trump and Kim Jong Un meet again in Hanoi. pic.twitter.com/XSd21GkVck
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 27, 2019
"This is absolutely stunning," says @JoeLockhart about President Trump's dinner with Kim Jong Un at the second Trump-Kim summit. "He is sitting next to a murderous thug … he is treating him like he is a personal friend." https://t.co/yGmqAVl5PO pic.twitter.com/Ty4yYxl7bF
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) February 27, 2019
Controversy also arose as the White House prevented a handful of reporters from attending the Trump/Kim dinner. The exclusion of reporters comes the day after Kim booted U.S. press from their hotel because it was where he was staying.
It appears wire reporters @JonLemire & @jeffmason1 were punished for asking questions — which is their job — during Trump’s first availability with Kim Jong Un. They were cut out of the pool covering Trump-Kim dinner “due to the sensitive nature of the meeting,” per Sarah Sanders
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 27, 2019
Multiple U.S. reporters were blocked by the White House from covering President Trump's dinner with Kim Jong Un because of "sensitivities over shouted questions." That after U.S. reporters were booted from their workspace because Kim Jong Un was staying at that hotel.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 27, 2019
While the WH punished reporters for asking Trump questions, Trump reveled in the attention of the print photographers allowed into the dinner spray, asking Doug Mills to send him photos so he could share them with Kim.
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) February 27, 2019