For many Republicans in the era of Trump, the president can do no wrong, even after near global consensus of failure. Case in point? Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner tried to spin Trump's botched recent Hanoi summit with Kim Jong-Un as a win for the White House.
"The meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un, in fact, greatly strengthened Washington’s longer-term negotiating position and advanced the prospect of North Korea’s denuclearization," the conservative think tank founder told Korean newspaper Korea Joongang Daily in a new interview this week.
Despite the fact Trump left Hanoi early with no deal, and despite the fact North Korea has reportedly started rebuilding rocket sites already, according to Feulner, everything went smoothly in Vietnam for Trump.
"The negotiation itself had been handled with competence and courage by Trump and his foreign policy and national security team," he said.
"It may be tempting to call the Hanoi summit a failure or a missed opportunity," the conservative continued, before adding a rosy spin on North Korea's relationship with the United States going forward, despite multiple reports that say just the opposite.
"My sense is that the past summit may have well established clearer and greater understanding of what’s really at stake and what must be done to get to the next stage of the evolving relationship," he said.
Read the full interview here.
