NORTH KOREA/SINGAPORE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Twenty-four hours after President Donald Trump dictated a dejected letter to Kim Jong Un canceling their June 12 meeting, he appeared to reverse course, telling reporters Friday [5-25-18] the diplomatic encounter could still occur on the same date if conditions keep improving. Trump suggested the two sides were again speaking after an abrupt silence from North Korea prompted US officials to worry. White House aides were not halting some of the summit’s planning, which was already underway in Singapore. It was a sign the President hasn’t lost hope in the audacious foreign policy accomplishment he is eager to secure. Even as his aides express doubt the summit can be arranged in the next 18 days, Trump has told confidants and advisers he believes the original date may still hold. And he’s grasped at glimmers of hope, in this case a conciliatory statement from Pyongyang that expressed continued openness to talks.”
-Kevin Liptak, “Trump’s ‘yes’ then ‘no’ then ‘yes’ approach leaves Singapore summit fate unclear,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 25, 2018 3:30 pm